Grace Notes -Rev. George Hooper

As you know, I am a bit of a do-it-yourself-er around the

house. I enjoy learning how things work, and get a sense of

accomplishment when I am able to fix something. Of course

the main draw for doing things myself is that I am cheap! Still,

this appreciation of personal economy has taught me much.

Such as the time I decided to run cable through the “attic”

crawlspace--

Poking my head up through the opening, looking around,

I was at first fascinated by the otherworldliness of the space.

It is dark up there! During the day, some light streams in from

the vents, but this only serves to darken the shadows. I quickly

became dependent on the flashlight, and had to trust that the

batteries would hold out. When did I replace them, anyway?

Distance is more difficult to judge, and everything

seemed so far away that I began to feel very small. Small, that

is, until I pulled myself fully into the space. No way I could

stand up there! Bent over, I could move across the center; but

as I approached the edges I had to first kneel, then lay down

and crawl.

And the insulation has remarkable properties! In color

and texture it made the space look like a great grey ocean – or

a moonscape. Moreover, it sucks up sound, so that by the time

I was twenty feet from the opening, and around a corner, I had

to shout at the top of my lungs to make myself heard at all.

This did not help that growing sense of disconnectedness!

Our minds are wonderful things, and imagination fills

in any blank spaces in our vision, hearing, or knowledge. I

started to imagine all the things that might be up there, and

the movement of shadows, caused by the movement of a

flashlight, became in my mind, movement of any number of

gruesome guests!

But it would not do to panic. After all, that would mean

someone else would have to come up and pull me out. It would

mean staying up there even longer. I reminded myself that I am

a person of faith. That God was with me even here. That when

I got the job done I could return to that great open space inside

the house, or even outside, where I could.... stand up! What

a blessing that simple position would be! To look up at the

sky! To be in familiar surroundings! And to know that sense of

accomplishment. The work was done, and I survived.

This season of Lent is something like my adventure

in the attic. We get down on our knees and crawl around in

the dark recesses of our souls. We bring the light of God’s

truth, knowing that source of energy will never run out. We

may begin to feel distant, or cut off, but then, in that, we are

made fully aware of God’s presence with us. We take that

renewed awareness with us wherever we go. In self-denial

we are reminded of the amazing gifts we are given by God in

the simple pleasures of being alive. We again treasure what

is most important and cease to take for granted that which is

available to us.

May you know that Christ goes with you wherever you

may venture.

Grace and Peace

George