STEP ONE: BREATHE

Take a deep, cleansing breath. Allow the air to fill your lungs and expand your body. Exhale and empty yourself into the room. Repeat three times - once for the one who Created you, once for the Incarnate One who walks beside you, and once for the Spirit whose life fills your being.

STEP TWO: DWELL IN WORD

The Parable of the Toad House:

There was a woman who bought a cute, mushroom-shaped lawn ornament from a local gift shop. She rushed home and placed it in her garden. It was bright and colorful with a little printed sign that clearly identified it as a “Toad House.” The woman wished to provide shelter for the many toads that she found hopping around her yard.

Each day she checked to see if any toads had moved into this small domicile. Each day she noticed that there were no toads in the designated house.

One morning, after checking “Toad House,” she noticed an old wooden bucket turned over. When she picked it up, a medium-sized toad hopped out from underneath.

A few days later, the woman checked to see if that toad went into “Toad House.” It did not. The mushroom-shaped object was empty. She opened the base of her fire table to turn on the gas ignition. Once again, she was surprised to find a toad in the bottom of the fire table. It hopped away.

The next morning, the woman once again checked “Toad House” for occupants. There were none. Walking to the shed to get the lawn mower, she noticed another large toad in the shade of a large rock. With big eyes and an expanding throat, the creature watched her without moving at all.

So it is with the Kingdom of God. It surprises us by appearing in the times and places where we least expect it. Rarely does it appear according to our designs or well-laid plans.

A Question to Ponder:

Where is the place that you least expect to encounter the love and grace of God?

STEP THREE: PRAY

Gracious God,

you surprise me. Sometimes in the strangest places and oddest times, I capture glimpses of your love and grace. When I least expect it, you bring a smile to my heart, and I’m filled with joy. At other times, when I try to conjure up your presence with religious thoughts and incantations, it seems like you are nowhere around. You elude my control. It appears that you refuse to play by my rules and follow my carefully laid plans and manipulations. Forgive my blasphemous attempts to harness your power for selfish desires. Enable me to trust in your presence and providence. Open my spirit so that I am available for your purposes and direction. Remind me that I’m not and I don’t need to be the center of the universe. Redirect my energies and efforts outward so that I may be found in the places of hurt, struggle, and restlessness. In the unlikely places of this world and my soul, let me discover you anew.

Through Jesus Christ, Amen.