I was reading a book the other day titled, The Daily Grind God With Your Coffee written by Rev. Susan Ward Diamond. For some of you who have attended the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, you may have met Susan’s husband Ron Diamond. Ron leads the fair goers in a show where he calls up individuals on the stage to hypnotize them. If you get a chance to attend the fair this year, you need to attend Ron’s show.
In Susan’s book there is a devotional that she has written which I want to share with you.
I had an opportunity to attend my very first country music concert a few days ago. Ron had gotten me tickets to see Trace Adkins, who was performing at the Kansas State Fair while I was there. He loaned me one of his hats – it was not an authentic cowboy hat; it was one of those Australian hats that was appropriate apparel for the concert, and was psyched about going. Ron had to perform at the same time, so he just walked me into the grandstand to make sure that I got my seat. I couldn’t believe it – I was just seven rows from the front of the stage, and I didn’t even need my glasses to be able to see the faces of the band.
I was excited! The stands began to fill rapidly, and the music started to play. And that’s when the perpetual smile on my face began to fade. First, there was the music. It was so loud. I couldn’t make out a word that was being sung. Fortunately, I knew most of the songs and once I could get past the blaring sound, I was able to figure out which one he was singing.
A woman sitting behind be suggested that I go and get some tissue to stuff in my ears. She said that the last time she went to a concert like this that she couldn’t get her ears to stop ringing for over a week. Her advice seemed good to me. I went to the ladies room and got enough tissue to fill my ears, and actually heard much better after that.
Then, there were two women sitting in front of me who were so excited about being at the concert that they were up on their feet, dancing away. They appeared to be a little drunk (they consumed several beers while we were there), and were pretty obnoxious with each person they encountered. In fact, they were making such a commotion that there was no way for me to see, even when I was standing up. So much for the good seat!
Some very nice ushers who were sitting nearby noticed my dilemma. I don’t think I was making a scene or anything, but they were kind enough to offer me a seat next to them, where I would be able to see better. I took them up on it, and with my ears stuffed with toilet tissue, and view uninhibited, ended up enjoying the concert immensely.
As I was sitting there, I thought about how each of those persons revealed something of God to me; the woman in the back, with a creative idea; the ushers, who cared enough to make room for me; and even the women in the front, filled with such unbridled joy that they totally let go of their inhibitions (all right – maybe it was the beer!). The point is, all we have to do is look around…because God will show up in all kinds of people and places. Perhaps if we look for God in others, we will spend less time worrying about things that we can’t change, and spend more time giving thanks for who they really are.
The question that I think we all need to ponder about is how often do we take time in the busyness of our lives truly take the time to see God in the lives of people around us.
Blessed to share the journey with each of you.
Rev. David Dubovich
Pastor, Park Place Christian Church