"Available"

Kimberly and I have an ongoing, friendly debate about her cell phone. You see, I simply raise the question, "If you do not answer your cell phone, does it make sense to have a cell phone?" Now, she would quickly object that every time she does not answer her cell phone she has a legitimate reason, which I could accept, if it was not every time I call! (I can just see you rolling your eyes and saying that is not true, Kimberly...you'll have to get your own blog if you want your side presented...LOL!).

The point is...when you call someone you hope they are available to talk. A second theme that has emerged in week two of the sabbatical for me is, "Am I available?" Am I available to each moment and each day so much so that if God chooses to reveal himself whatever the moment, that I would not miss the call. You see, I have a problem...may be some of you can relate...I can get so caught up in what needs to be done next that I forget that this moment is all that I know for sure God has given me. And if this moment is what God has given me, then every moment, even menial moments are of value. The questions is am I available? Are you available?

Tuesday night Kimberly was struck with illness. Then, at 10 PM, Anna came out of her room and regurgitated her supper onto our hallway carpet. Normally, I, who tends to have quick gag reflex when it comes to bodily fluids, would have quickly referred the clean up to Kimberly. However, Kimberly was sick and Seth can barely walk, so it was left to me. What a moment, huh? Actually it turned out to be a God-moment. Don't get me wrong, the puke was still nasty and it made me want to puke, but the moment that puke opened up for me and my daughter was divine. The best moment was when, after several more times of vomiting, Anna leaned over to me, put her arm around me, pulled me close and said, "Dad, guess what...I love you so much." As the night and the next day went on moment by moment I heard God whisper, "Chad, every moment is full of me if you will be available."

The truth is, I am not always available to the moment let alone waht God has for me to see of him in the moment...God calls, I don't answer and then I say, "I wonder why God never calls anymore...why do I feel so distant from him?" Hhhhmmmm....I wonder...not even God can talk to me if I am not available...so to all of you I say, "Pick up the phone today, God is calling and to Kimberly, I say, "Pick up the phone, I'm calling!" :-)