Thoughts from Our Bridge Pastor
Rev. Barbara K. Peronteau
Thoughts from the Pastor…
I went online looking for Christmas cards. I was looking for something plain and simple, yet elegant. In my mind’s eye I was envisioning a gold reindeer in an art deco style with a white background. The saying inside would simply say “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings.” I could write whatever additional greeting I wanted depending to whom I was sending the card.
I went to the Macy’s website. Remember, back in the day when we would go to the department store and pick out cards. Now we can shop via the internet at home in our ‘jammies. I went to the Macy’s site because what could be more art deco than Macy’s? Wrong. They had some pretty nice cards, but not exactly what I was looking for. I was tempted by the palm tree with Christmas lights on the beach with the sun setting behind the hills in the background. It reminded me of Monterey at sunset. Maybe. I’ll keep looking.
I remember I got some pretty nice cards at Aldi’s about eight years. ago. Actually, it’s just Aldi. Even though everyone says Aldi’s, someone in the room will be the self-appointed grammar police pointing out that, it’s just “Aldi.” There’s a family connection with Trader Joe’s. Aldi’s is primarily a discount grocery store, but they sell other stuff too. I got my George Forman Grill for seven bucks there.
Anyway, I bought some very nice holiday cards that year. One set of cards had three or four large highly decorated Christmas ornaments with the word “JOY” colorfully splashed across the card. It was very colorful and happy. There was another set of cards I bought but don’t remember what they were. The third set of cards was that art deco gold reindeer leaping across the white background. Very plain, simple, yet elegant.
The thing is, I wasn’t looking for cards that day. I went in for the beans and corn for 49 cents a can and a dozen eggs for under a dollar. As I was poking around, as I do in grocery stores, I found those cards. I wasn’t looking for cards at all, but there they were, too good to pass up.
It’s kind of like when I lost my marbles in the shag rug. The only way I would find them is when I stepped on them. Och! But ah ha!
I continued my online search for that perfect gold art deco leaping reindeer. Nothing. I changed my expectations. What if I found something region specific? After all, we live in one of the most exotic places on the planet. Nope. Nope, not that one either. Suddenly, that’s the one! I found it! I wasn’t expecting or looking for that one, but that’s the one! I ordered 48.
Our search and expectations for Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy, even God can be like that. When we search for God thinking we’re looking for an art deco reindeer, or have expectations of God that God is this or that, but isn’t anything like we thought, or were told, or the way we did things eight years ago, or were hoping for, that’s when we discover that God lives within us and is completely different than we thought. We find out that God is beyond our expectations and was there the whole time, like the marbles in my shag rug or holiday cards at Aldi’s. Who would have thought about a God who becomes one of us? Who would have thought of a God who suffers with us? That’s when we change our minds and hearts and lives to something new and unexpected bringing Hope, Peace, and Love. That’s when, like that art deco reindeer, we leap for Joy at the unexpected!
~ Pastor. Barbara