Pulled pork n babies

Wilbur doesn’t die in Charlotte’s Web, but if he did, I’d sure like to cook ’im. I never made pulled pork before tonight, but oh my great glory be: that stuff on my plate was mighty tasty!

Thank you God for Monday night Bible study and the beloved daughter of God who gave me the recipe.

Is it possible for pulled pork to bring me closer to Jesus? Yes. 

And other simple things help me snuggle up to His heart too.

Like babies.

Babies are to the heart what pulled pork is to the taste buds. They make the heart sing with joy.

Four babies came into my life last week. Two crawled on the secretary’s floor at school during my prep period. I didn’t plan; they came prepared. With belly laughter. And squirming. And silly faces. And chubby limbs. I crawled right up to their faces and we shared instant delight.

At Mass later that day, my friend plopped her baby in my lap from the pew behind me while I listened to the reading. Total surprise and total joy. My arms had ached to hold a baby and God just put one right in them. Thank you, God.

Another friend and I caught up Friday over homemade kettle corn -- an indulgence similar to pulled pork, but not necessarily the kind that gets time off purgatory…

Her baby was kind enough to spit up on me while I jostled his giggly body on my lap. Sorry, baby! But it didn't bother me.

Why? Because babies make the world go ‘round.

Babies do about five things: eat, sleep, laugh, cry, digest. And yet they make miracles happen in people’s lives.

I looked at my friend’s baby and thought about that. This child will be an old man one day. He might only be able to do the same five things then. In both cases, he can totally transform someone else’s life. He changed mine on Friday.

I talked to a friend last weekend and told him I felt stupid because I sometimes feel like I can only do about five things at this point in my life. He encouraged me that everyone needs special education--not in a way that disrespects anyone with intellectual disabilities, but that recognizes everyone's need to learn about of the integration of God's presence throughout one's imperfect life differently. 

I’ve heard that before at another point in my life as motivation to be compassionate toward someone who had hurt me, recognizing that person's weaknesses as well as his best attempt to love me in the moment. This time, I took the same advice but connected it to myself and my own weaknesses and need for special education. I also thought about a time last year when sad issues arose in my mind.

I was angry then and felt jipped, like I had gone to the wrong university my whole life. Now, I am learning, and relearning, that I need to keep learning. Simply. Nobody's perfect. And it’s a process of growth.

The special education I need today is to focus on the positive. My Zumba instructor encouraged us tonight to think about something positive in our lives while we did plank position... Wait what? Oh the pain! 

She said for every three negative things we think, we usually only think of one positive. 

I thought, I know what darkness is. But if I overanalyze the darkness, how will I have time to ever appreciate the light?

And once I see it, should I look for the outlet, wonder about stocking up on extra bulbs, worry that the darkness will snuff it out? No.

Instead I will sit in the sun and feel it’s warmth. And I won’t think too hard. I'll simply repeat that same old simple mantra: “Be still and know that I am God.” And let it soak in like a baby well fed.

God, thank you for loving me today in the sweet, in the savory, in the simple. Amen.