Some of life’s greatest blessings are hiding right under our noses.
HHH and I are still plugging away on the meditation garden at church. It’s really a lovely place to sit, pray, and breathe. The only problem is that we’ve somehow managed to schedule ourselves to work there around 11:00 in the morning.
On July 8th.
In Nevada.
With temperatures determined to make their way into the triple digits.
I have to admit, it’s a little difficult to get excited about hauling shovels, pulling weeds, and moving rocks when the sun is doing its best impression of a blast furnace. Perhaps the lesson isn’t to avoid the work but simply to start a little earlier.
The truth is, I need the exercise. I need the sunshine. I need the fresh air. Sometimes I just need to adjust my timing.
As always, church has a way of rewarding us.
We ran into the usual Wednesday crew. Mr. and Mrs. Lovebird, happily making their way toward their first wedding anniversary. Mr. Fix It. Our Pastor. They’d spent part of the morning cleaning up after our Fourth of July celebration, which was grand indeed.
Someone suggested lunch. Destination — TeePee Bar and Grill, just a few feet away.
Unfortunately, when we arrived, we discovered the TeePee had been closed by a government agency that will remain both unnamed and unexplained. So, with hungry stomachs and in need of a Plan B, we made a quick decision and headed a few blocks away to Knight’s Pizza.
Sometimes Plan B turns out even better than Plan A.
Honestly, the pizza was some of the best we’ve had in years. We shared a lunch special that included a fresh salad bar, and the whole meal worked out to about five dollars a person. You just can’t complain about that.
But if I’m being truthful, the pizza wasn’t the highlight of the afternoon. It was the laughter, stories, and easy conversation around the table.
There is something wonderfully different about church family. It isn’t perfect people gathering together. It’s ordinary people who choose to care about one another. They celebrate together, work together, pray together, laugh together, and when life gets hard, they carry one another through.
At our church, there really aren’t strangers. There are simply new friends we haven’t met yet.
It struck me on the drive home that the greatest treasures rarely announce themselves with flashing lights. They don’t usually cost much money either. More often, they’re hiding in ordinary Wednesdays, unexpected invitations, shared pizza, familiar smiles, and people who simply enjoy spending time together.
Those blessings have been sitting right under our noses all along.
If you ever find yourself passing through our little town on a Wednesday, stop by and say hello. There’s always room for one more friend at the table.
