Open to Surprises

It was Betty Tallmadge who said, “Life is what happens to you when you’re making other plans.” Serendipitous things happen if we are willing to let them. Our plans must be adjustable to allow life to do what it will with us. We collect seashells with our children but fall in love with the hobby ourselves. We search for a particular painting but come upon a gorgeous piece of furniture instead. We take an elective course as a filler and end up pursuing the field professionally. After the death of a Rabbi, one of his disciples was asked, “What was most important for your teacher?” The disciple thought for a moment and replied, “Whatever he happened to be doing at the moment.”

Friend of Dial Hope, no matter where you are – driving in a car, the sanctity of your home, vacationing, a hospital bed, at your place of work – live fully this day, which is an unrepeatable miracle. Be open to surprises. Be playful. Focus on the constant sacrament of the little moments.

Let us pray: O God of all precious things, including animals and the majesty of your creation, who hears our pain even when fears block our words, create in us a heart of laughter and hope. May your spirit of comfort still the anxiety of those who live with enormous pressure and stress; may it fill the emptiness of lost and lonely lives. Weave your love, joy, and gratitude into the tapestry of our moments this day. Thank you, God. Amen.