You also know you are hitting 40 when you can’t ‘hang’ even at a comedy show and fall asleep, head bob and all! 😉 It was Kevin James and Ray Ramano not Tim Allen….I had that wrong. They were funny but I was exhausted for some reason.
Another nugget of a moment I had yesterday was witnessing Holly, my friend, go throughout the day simply enjoying the moment. At lunch we were at an Asian restaurant and she declared, “I need to step outside of the box and try new things!” So she told the waiter to pick the sushi for her. Now I considered this quite brave because I like Sushi but it is all about what tastes you enjoy. And I’m not one to enjoy the strong ‘raw’ fish that is often included.
When the waiter walked away she said, “You don’t realize how huge that is for me. I used to be one of those that said, ‘I want this without this and that and I need to have this on the side.’ I’m a very picky person.” When her lunch arrived she was true to her word and ate most of it. She ordered two rolls, one she enjoyed over the but she managed to wash it down with water.
This struck me, though, as a lesson I needed to learn as well. I ‘preach’ live moment by moment, embracing what we’ve been given today and there is so much I still avoid. So today Holly, her husband Rob and Neal all convinced me to join them in a Poker Tournament at some point while we are here. We didn’t get to it today but there is still tomorrow and instead of saying “no” I’ll give it a try. Though is it bad to use that as a ‘just show up’ example? 🙂
Makes me think of Mass this morning at the Cathedral of Guardian Angels.
It was right next door to our hotel so there were no excuses! Neal and I made it just in time for the 9:30am Mass. As soon as we’d settled in we were approached by one of the ushers to carry the gifts to the altar just before the Sacrament of Communion. Of course Neal and I were honored to have been chosen. At the designated time we walked up to the altar with the hosts and wine and the priest said out loud (not in a whisper), “Where are you two from? Oh, Texas! Wonderful. Have you won any money?”
We laughed and he blessed us before we walked back to our seat. What other church would have the priest asking about what luck you’ve had gambling? We said goodbye to him when we left and he said, “I hope you enjoy yourself and win big!”
This from a man that brought tears to my eyes during his homily on the Prodigal Son. He ended his message as if he were Christ saying to all sinners who feel as if they have sinned so much they are too unworthy to come back, “I want you to come home,” he said. “Come home.”
Is it conventional for a church to talk about winnings and where you are from during the service? No, but this church is in it’s own peculiar circumstance located in the thick of sin city. So they think outside of the box and with love say “come home.”
How can you get out of your ‘box’ today?
Blessings
Shannon