Along the journey towards the greater, there are many small, daily steps to better understand oneself, God, and others. This is one of my “daily steps”.
Every year I get an ornament for each of my boys.⠀
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The first few years I picked them all. Last year, my oldest son and I picked them for his brothers. This year, however, I loaded the three boys up in a @target shopping cart and held my breath that we’d get out of the Christmas section not breaking anything.⠀
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One son chose a set of sparkling plastic ornaments hoping they’d create a rainbow on the tree if the light hit just right. A second one chose first a giraffe but then traded it in every time his older brother showed him a new option. Six ornaments later he settled on a flamingo with a top hat. My last son picked up half a dozen ornaments looking for the softest most squeezable ornament and finally thought this lion fit the bill.⠀
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I’m not sure I would have chosen any of these for them. How interesting it is to see how they chose for themselves.⠀
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I loved seeing them, each with their little baskets on their arms, proudly carrying their new, carefully chosen ornament. Even if the cuteness lasted only a minute before the wrestling at the checkout ensued.⠀
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I am trying today to re-capture this moment because sometimes the moments of frustration or “these kids are never gonna listen” overshadows the glimpses of heaven right here on earth.⠀
#ThomasMerton once said “There are days when I am convinced that Heaven starts already, now, in this ordinary life just as it is, in all its incompleteness, yet, this is where Heaven starts.. see within yourself, if you can find it.”⠀
Where, today, can you glimpse a bit of heaven?
