ARE THOSE PANTS HOT?

Well, turns out little Claire wasn't asking to see if my white pants were "cool," like "She looks so HOT!" But wondered, if they felt hot on this simmering summer day? I said I was OK but thought her dress would be much cooler. It was a wispy fabric enhanced by the pastel hues of the rainbow. So I asked if her pretty dress was good for twirling. Claire answered by twirling around. Her Mama added,"Claire says rainbow is her favorite color."

So, what's your favorite color? Mine's blue. But this blog's not about colors. It's about some of life's important questions. To a child, all of their questions matter. But Claire's wasn't angst producing. Questions in sermons are another matter. Like ones implied in The Rev. George Stevens's sermon yesterday. His text was from Matthew 14:13-21. It's the story of Jesus doing the impossible by multiplying a kid's lunch of two fish and five loaves to feed thousands of people. Little did the Mama know, who packed that lunch, that she'd be packing up miracle enhanced munchables.

And that's life. Doing the mundane, the small stuff out of duty and love, without thought of recognition or the significance of the act. It's the simple, small, sacred stuff of life that doesn't seem to make a big difference. Except...it matters to Jesus. So the question comes, "What's in my hand and am I willing to entrust it to Jesus?"

As the story goes, the crowd was fed. And fed to being full, so full that there were twelve baskets of leftovers. One basket for each of the doubting disciples to haul away, as they pondered,"Who really is this Jesus?!" And as Father George said,"In God's Kingdom there is always more than enough. In God's Kingdom scarcity is transformed into abundance."

And the last question came last night, at dinner with Kristina, my daughter-in-love. It connects to where I am at this stage in life. "What's my vision for what's next?" She's not talking about death wishes. But how do I envision the remainder of my days? Living where? Living how?

So, I guess my pants are hot, by putting myself in the hot seat, so to speak. Still, I feel somewhat stuck. I like pondering possibilities, more than pronouncing, "Thus saith Jan!" But I need to make decisions before they have to be made for me. And relinquishing is a sacred act of offering Jesus what's in my hands. Not can I, but will I trust Jesus with my small lunch?

So, are your pants hot?

I've heard that relinquishing can be freeing?

But I also heard, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."So now I'm full of applesauce and need to see my doctor.

Laughter helps.

So does avoiding tough questions.

But not for long.

Rainbows remind us of God's promise and grace to the lot of us. (Genesis 9:13-15) And it's a hopeful sign that the storm's over