by Karen Treat.
Twenty some years ago, my husband and I hiked the state of Oregon.
Daily we were amazed by the miraculous works of God–in the mountains, the water sources, and the people we met on the trail. What was important in seeing God was keeping our eyes open for God. Some days were pretty hard.
One day our planned food did not show up at the ranger station. What would we do? The only town was at the base of the mountain.
As Ed and I put up camp, our fellow hiker Steve went to ponder our dilemma and met Russ who was staying at the campground. They talked about what had happened to our food and Russ immediately offered to bring us to town. It was a prayer answered.
After taking care of our immediate needs in town, Steve, Ed and I offered to take Russ to supper.
As we filled our bellies, we talked about our lives off the mountain. It was there we heard Russ’s story. He confessed he had come to the mountain to relapse after two years of being sober. Life was getting hard. He wanted to drink.
My husband and Steve chuckled at God’s handiwork in Russ’s life. Russ was sitting with two men in recovery from addiction. God was busy in Russ’s life.
“Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.” John 21:12-13
When we read this revelation of Christ to his disciples, we see a Jesus who comes in the simplest moments in life–in a meal with family and friends. God comes to the disciples in the ordinary.
We are given the invitation from Jesus to have a meal every day.
St. Ignatius speaks of that invitation to watch for the presence of God in the world, in each other. As we become more aware of God’s presence all around us, we sense the sacred in all.
In seeing God’s invitation in our day to day we receive grace upon grace beyond our imagination.
Karen is a spiritual director at Loyola. Read her bio here.
