“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10
What is abundant life? Society and people of faith differ on the answers to that question. While I cannot always comprehend exactly what abundant life is, I do see glimpses of it when I:
- Sing favorite hymns as loud as I can;
- Taste home-grown green beans;
- Embarrass my family by yelling, “moo”, out the car window every time I pass a cow on the side of the road;
- Plant flowers;
- Watch a cat chase a feathery toy or a dog play with a ball;
- Laugh at or tell a dumb pun;
- Listen to someone describe the joy of a birth of a grandchild;
- Find a note in the mail from a friend with whom I hadn’t heard from in a long time;
- Attend with a friend a baseball game that goes into extra innings;
- Take pictures of cacti flowers;
- Pick an ear of corn and eat it raw right there in the garden;
- Look unto the depth of my neighbor’s eyes during communion as she puts the loaf into my hands.
So, what made your list? Get a pen/pencil and make a list. Or type away at the keyboard. What makes life seem abundant to you? Then, share your list with another person and listen to their offering. Conversations like that bring us alive and make life abundant.
Shalom, Paul