“O my Strength, I will watch for you.” – Psalm 59:9
I was rereading some parts of Discernment by Henri Nouwen the other day. He writes, “Discernment reveals new priorities, directions and gifts from God. We come to realize that what previously seemed so important for our lives, loses its power over us. To our surprise, we even may experience a strange inner freedom to follow a new call or direction as previous concerns move into the background of our consciousness. We begin to see the beauty of the small and hidden life that Jesus lived in Nazareth. Most rewarding of all is the discovery that as we pray more each day, God’s will—that is, God’s concrete ways of loving us and our world—gradually is made known to us.”
In the first chapter of John, everyone is watching for Jesus: John the Baptist, who keeps insisting there is a greater one coming. Andrew, who left John to follow Jesus instead. Simon, who was brought by his brother. Philip, who answered a simple call to follow. Then there is Nathaniel, who said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Yes, apparently. Yes, and more: Jesus tells him, “you will see greater things than these.”
Life feels small and hidden these days. Life is a dish washed, an assignment uploaded, a floor vacuumed, a book read, a dispute arbitrated, another snack or meal prepared. Life is a series of unquantifiable moments—hard ones, like when the kids have successive emotional issues. Good ones, like when we sat around watching our pet snails or when Emmy kept asking us serious questions like, “which do you like better: oil or tea? A cup or a tissue? Ice or water?” God’s will involves when to speak and when to hold my tongue; when to go do something I don’t feel like doing; how to approach one of the kids when they’re having a tough moment.
We who follow Jesus will see greater things that these, but sometimes it starts in being open to the unremarkable, watching for God in the small and hidden life.
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