A Thoughtful Kind of Day
By Roslyn Catracchia, Director of Worship
Yesterday I was given an unexpected gift. I went to the First Prez campus at Koʻolau like I usually do every other Wednesday to help the pastors with filming the different segments of the sermon. I was particularly tired because the day before had been an extra-long workday. But I got up, put myself together, grabbed a cup of coffee, drove to Koʻolau, and waited at the gate for the crew.
When I arrived, I was greeted by the chickens, roosters, and a few smiling hikers. That should have given me the first clue. The smiling hikers. Hmmm, I thought, I haven’t hiked since I broke my hand a couple of years ago. Too afraid to fall …
The film crew arrived. I let them in the gate, then joined them in the atrium of Koʻolau. I was tired when I woke up earlier in the morning, but quickly became alert and focused as I operated the teleprompter for Pastor Tim giving the announcements. And by 9:30 am, I was wide awake, especially after hearing Pastor Tim praying such life-giving words. Hmmm, I thought, what a great way to wake up, hearing such life-giving words!
Then Chris Pan and the crew gathered their equipment together to head out to the golf course to film Sunday’s message. Chris had been planning it for weeks, and the day was finally here! My responsibilities were done for the shoot, but he asked me if I wanted to come out with them … for fun! I thought, hmmm, I’ve got a million things to do, but … why not!
So we set out on golf carts, and away we went! I haven’t been out of the house to be in nature like that since … I can’t remember when. We went to a number of different locations on the property, and traveling from spot to spot, I think my cheesy smile got bigger and bigger, but no one could see it because of my mask! Many times, I thought we were surely going to take a tumble in the golf cart, and I’d squeeze the railing extra tight, but we didn’t! And after a while, I shouted out, “This is more fun than Disneyland!”
Spoiler alert – Chris Pan’s message this coming Sunday, Oct 25th, is awesome. It’s one I’ll be listening to again and again, and going back to the website to watch again and again. As we filmed one segment, I thought to myself, “Hmmmm, this sounds familiar. Why does it feel so familiar?” He was quoting Psalm 121:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
The Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
He who watches over you will not slumber…
Read Psalm 121 here when you have a chance, the whole Psalm. It’s not long! And it’s life-giving.
Psalm 121, A Song of Ascents. Just the night before I went to sleep listening to the meditation app Whispers From God, and the Scripture I had chosen was “A song of Ascents.” I wonder now if I had chosen that at all or if the Holy Spirit had led me to choose that one last night. Hmmm.
Then I remembered that I had written a devo back in April called “Lift Up Your Eyes!” Goodness, had I gotten back into the habit of looking down? After such a life-giving lesson God had given me back then? Yes, I had! And it reminded me of one of my favorite quotes by Madeleine L’Engle in her book Walking on Water — “The Holy Spirit does not hesitate to use any method at hand to make a point to us reluctant creatures.”
Why are we such stubborn, reluctant creatures?! I don’t know. But right now, I’m still smiling from yesterday’s gift. And right after this, I’m going out for a walk, for no other reason than to get away from my computer and to look UP, to lift up my eyes to the mountains, which we have! Wherever you are on this island, you can see the Koʻolau or the Waiʻanae Range. Mountains? We got ‘em!
I remember Pastor Sim Fulcher saying something about how long it takes to either break or learn a habit. I thought he had said 2 weeks, but I can’t remember. So I looked it up just now. One study suggests it can take from 18 to 254 days. Ha! That cracks me up. Doesn’t seem very scientific to me. But maybe this good habit to form, of going outside and lifting our eyes to the mountains, isn’t scientific at all, but food for the soul. And yet, there is a lot of science behind why nature is good for your soul. Hmmm…
And with that final contemplation, I shall take my leave and take my walk!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being so patient with us stubborn, “reluctant creatures.” Thank You for reminders like yesterday that you call us to rest, to refresh our souls. Thank You that even if we can’t get outside for whatever reason, we have windows in our homes that we can look out and look up and see a piece of the sky You created. Thank You! Amen.
Share this with a friend: