A Place of Wonder

Saturdays--a day I love--a day of family, friends and a change of pace, from focused to relaxed. It's a day reserved for people first and foremost; for conversations--for catching up.

I love watching our grandchildren at play. Their world is one I remember so well--a place of wonder where time is spent simply and imagination is the magic carpet to adventure. It makes me happy to see that children haven't lost the capacity for make believe.

This afternoon Victoria had a play date with her friend Molly. When Brenda dropped her off at Molly's house, she said to Victoria, "Honey, I don't need to tell you about your manners and I don't need to tell you about listening--and I don't need to lecture you about not getting carried away."

Victoria said, "Mommy, you're trying not to--but you are."

In the afternoon I went to church in support of my friends Bonnie and Charliene who were leading the World Day of Prayer at our church for the six churches of Tottenham. We were unavoidably a week later than others with our World Day of Prayer but a fine crowd of ladies had already gathered when I arrived.

The prayer focus was Paraguay and the theme was "United Under God's Tent." There was a large, heavy length of deep blue cloth to represent the tent, and a pole which someone was to hold up underneath and in the middle of the piece of cloth, while two others held out the four corners of the cloth as they walked down the aisle under the "tent." Brenda was with me, and since one of the ladies who was to be under the tent had not yet arrived, Charliene asked her to stand in for her. The whole thing was quite a feat to manage while keeping composure beneath the tent. Charliene said, "The women of Paraguay wrote the program, not us."

The progress of the "tent" and its inhabitants, as they made their way down the aisle, was wobbly and punctuated by snorts, smothered laughter and other mysterious noises from beneath its wings. Our pastor was having difficulty maintaining a serious demeanour and eventually just gave up. It was a moment I wished that I'd had my camera to record--these words will have to do!

Prayer: Father I thank you for simple things; for children, for wonder, for friends and laughter. You give such good gifts. Thank you for the adventure of life, lived out each day.