Fresh Dumplings and LOTR

A reminder to stop and smell the roses

I took a bite of the steaming hot, handmade dumpling and looked around the buzzing room. People from all over the world, jammed into this little restaurant on the corner of a busy neighborhood in the city. Different languages, dreams, pains, hopes, gifts, personalities. My wife, sitting across from me smiling, sipping on some flowery tea that cost too much money for something you can grab from the garden. We were only an hour out from enjoying the night watching the SF Symphony play our favorite movie, The Lord of the Rings (yes, it's the best, no need to email me).

It struck me like a bolt to the brain.
I had been given treasures to enjoy.
It was like thick dark honey oozing into my hands.
My pockets were laden with gold.
The sky was shooting stars.
I had won the lottery... but better.

The gifts. The grace. The scandal of it all.

Let's be honest. Life can really suck at times.
Whether it's chronic pain, relational strife, taxes or traffic.
Suffering and sin do not take days off.
Sometimes, you just lack motivation and joy.
Sometimes you just feel...blahh.

But in the midst of the pain, there is piercing beauty.
In the midst of the dry seasons, there are fresh springs.
In the midst of the weariness, there is relief and joy.

When it's all grace, you realize where the miracle was the whole time.
It wasn't really the mountain-top stuff.
It was the mundane moments.

The idea of grace means there is always something to be grateful for.

So gather your friends, drink your cheap wine, stay up late with your kids, walk your neighborhood, re-heat the leftover pizza, play a board game, read your favorite book, kiss your spouse and be in awe of the little gifts that make life a miracle. 

The truth is that every good gift comes from God.
And He gives good gifts to the ratchet and the righteous. 

Honey in your hands. Gold in your pockets.
You just need to have eyes to see.