Why I Say “Hallelujah” a Lot

‘Phase 1’ of the summer has passed. Now on to ‘phase 2’. In phase 1 we (Judy and I, Laura, Adam, and the grandchildren) drove to NY. Then I flew to Florida, picked up my Mom, and brought her back to NY for her 90th birthday party. All the children (my sister and I), the grandchildren and their spouses, and great grandchildren gathered around her to celebrate. It was a great party. Then I took Mom and my family to a resort on Lake George (Trout House) for a week. That was a blast. Hiking, fishing, boating, and hanging out. Last Sunday I took Mom home, spent part of Monday with her, and flew back to NY. Phew. Ready for a rest.

Phase 2 is the return to Houston, pack up and close on the condo, and drive Judy’s car to NC. We will stay in NC for a week and attend an Awakening that Bill Campbell is organizing. Then, fly back to NY. That will take us up to July 20.

The work involved in phase 1: deciding, planning, coordinating, driving and flying, and being with the family seems mundane…it’s what we do. There can be anxiety – “Will Mom do well on the flights”, “what if it rains on the day of the party”, “will the boys enjoy themselves”? There is also the stress of all getting along. Perhaps there is the extra energy needed to hold old resentments and pain in check because we just don’t talk about these things. But all of this is our work. We do it because that is what type A people do. Organize and execute.

But ‘phase 1’ is also a perfect example of Kingdom living, or should be. The Kingdom of God is interwoven into all of these decisions and interactions. God is moving among us, even if I allow myself to get so caught up in my ‘work’ that I fail to see or sense His presence. There is my work – the things I need to do to make ‘phase 1’ a reality. And then there is God moving and working in the midst of all that I am doing.

And so the blessings of phase 1 occur at two different levels. The satisfaction that I have done all I can do to bless my Mother, and the blessings that God poured out each day (really almost minute by minute) in the midst of this time. You know, however, that these two levels of blessings are not intended to be separate: we are called to see, understand, and experience them as woven intimately into a single tapestry of remembrance. Where was God when Gabe caught a large perch, when Luke caught a huge pumpkin seed (a type of fish), when Adam and I climbed Rogers Rock together and took a Father and Son selfie; when, on that gray day, we got back to the car from a hike and the moment we got under cover the rain poured down (we would have really been in trouble if it had rained while we were coming off the rocks), when we got upgraded to a larger, more convenient cabin at a huge discount at Trout House? In these and a hundred other events, God was there — right in the middle of all of it — pouring out His love and affection on all of us in tangible, practical, and even supernatural ways.

My point, I guess, is that we take this world and all of the day-to-day events in it for granted. This is our stuff. The routine drives to work or the grocery store, interactions with family or friends, making a cup of coffee, planning trips or events like I did, falling asleep or waking up, and many more things that in a real way define our lives. We do these so often that they become almost automatic, even boring. Yet, God is in the midst of these things. Always speaking, always present. He wants to be a part of all of this.

I had a powerful experience 10 or so years ago. One rainy Saturday I was on my way down to the sailboat docked in Galveston Bay to change out a fuel filter. The manufacturer-installed filter on the diesel engine was inadequate. I had planned the installation, bought the parts, and was ready to do the work. Relatively simple and not, as far as I could tell, any part of the Kingdom of God. On the way to the bay in the car, I heard God say “can I help you with this work”? “What?”, I said. “Is that you God?”, I had never thought my relationship with God included this type of thing. I met God in church, in Bible study, in teaching, and mentoring. But not in changing a diesel fuel filter. “OK. Sure God, lets do this together.” First, He asked me if He could help. He didn’t want to intrude. He is a gentleman; He wanted my permission. Crazy!! Second, it was a Kingdom experience. God literally spoke to me about where to mount the new filter, how to arrange the hoses, helped me make the connections without spilling any diesel fuel inside the boat, and more. He did not ‘take over’; we worked together to do the job perfectly. From that day on, whenever I pulled the cover off the back of the engine and looked at the filter, I felt a great sense of satisfaction (a job well done) but also remembered the presence of God and the joy of working with Him. (And this is one way He teaches us what His voice sounds like).

That day I learned that God wants to join me in every part, every minute of my life. He wants to come in. He will not generally barge in. But if I invite Him in, He will always show up. My part is to be sensitive to His still small voice, His moving, and to rejoice in the partnership and the Presence. To be aware and open to Him.

I think I did that in ‘phase 1’, although not perfectly. I am sure the members of my family and many of the people I met at Trout House wondered why I went around all day saying “hallelujah”.