Good morning friends,
Sometimes life is simply a series of small gifts.
This week the Heartland Youth Choir Camp is being held at our church. Sixty children and their leaders arrive each morning. I don't know their schedule for the day, but part of the time they gather in the Friendship Room and sing. The Friendship Room is just across the hall from my office. I cannot see them but I can hear them.
They begin by warming up their voices. One morning they made hooting sounds that reminded me of the sounds the mourning doves make when they sit on our arbor early in the morning. I imagined the children looking at each other and almost giggling as they hooted at one another.
After they warm up, they practice scales and then they begin to sing. They have the high-pitched voices of children. Like bells ringing in innocence. Like an angel choir. The sound drifts down the hall and into my office, a heavenly soundtrack for my day. Beauty always offers healing. A balm, even when we didn’t know we needed it.
Listening, I am reminded again that I am not God. I could never have designed anything so beautiful.
Overhearing their voices is a small gift, an accident of being in the same space at the same time.
I think small gifts come to us like that, small encounters that string together to form our days. The kindness of a clerk at the FedEx store, an encouraging text from a friend, evening prayer, and a good night’s sleep.
May we be open always to the small gifts.
May we receive the small gifts with gratitude.
May we offer small gifts of ourselves to others.
In the name of the Risen Christ, amen.
Blessings, friends. See you Sunday.
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Avenue
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
515-279-0826
Visit us at wdmumc.org or like us on Facebook.
We worship at 8:30 and 11 on Sunday mornings and we would love to worship with you.
This Sunday we continue our sermon series called In the Beginning…. How does God begin things? Sometimes God simply says “Go.” Where are you going these days? Come Sunday and join in the conversation.
If you would like to hear the Heartland Youth Choir, they will conclude their week with a concert on Friday evening at 7 pm at the church. You will be blessed.
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