Seek the Sacred Amidst the Ordinary

Yesterday my daughter Tori boarded a bus headed for the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) in St Paul, MN.  She is traveling with the same kids she has worked with all year on youth ministry in our diocese.  The farewells were beyond brief as she happily boarded a bus full of excited teenagers and the few brave souls acting as chaperones. So I was drawn to this photo by my friend Bonnie, taken on her way to work in Oregon.  I particularly noticed the sky in this picture, with the clouds hugging the mountains. I miss the big sky of the western US, where it seems you can see forever. Here in Virginia, you can only see this far from a mountain top.  The trees and foliage often obscure the long view.  I wonder what Tori and her traveling companions will see and learn on their journey.  Perhaps there will be a glimpse of the long view, a possibility in life they had not considered before.  Or perhaps a new friendship will develop, a new viewpoint that alters their perspective.  Are you or someone you know about to take a journey, to vacation or visit family?  Take time to open your eyes to your new surroundings, to allow different views and people into your heart and soul.  We are all connected in ways we can scarcely understand.  Enjoy the journey, allowing yourself to see the world through God’s eyes, and to embrace the world with God’s heart. Photo by Bonnie Hamlett