God's Gift in Our Hands

One of the gifts of being sequestered at home for a couple of weeks after surgery, unable to drive, was that I could indulge in lots of quiet reading and pondering time. It brought me a surprising amount of joy to still be in my robe, sipping coffee and reading, when Jim left for the church office each morning.

During one of those quiet mornings, my mind wandered to the music and words of a hymn I must have heard and sung a thousand times - "Take My Life, and Let It Be Consecrated" - began to float through my mind. I had been reading a book on stewardship, so it was logical that song would appear from the mental files. But I was surprised by what happened as I thought through the words of the first verse:

"Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments...

There was suddenly a catch in my throat. The word "moments" moved me nearly to tears. The meaning, the value, the possibilities within any given moment came to my mind - and the realization of the many, many, moments of life I have practically sleep-walked through, that could have been offered to God, and could have been so much more.

To allow God to be at work in this moment - that is a way to receive a whole new perspective on an ordinary day, to be refreshed for the holy in the midst of what can seem hum-drum.

This Sunday we'll be hearing one of Jesus' surprising parables, from Luke 16:1-10, where he tells a story of a dishonest steward of a household, who wastes his master's money - but realizes at the last moment the true value, and possibilities, of what has been entrusted to him. And it's not too late for this clever steward to use what he still has in his hands to build bridges of relationship, and create a better future.

How do we see, and use fully and faithfully, the moments we have, and the gifts of God entrusted to us?