July 14, 2021 My husband, Adam, sent me a text message with a photo he had taken at an antique store. The photo was of a box full of large, brass numbers, coated with multiple layers of paint. “They’re from the prison in Dannemora,” the text message said. I immediately pushed the button on my phone to voice call my husband. Some conversations just can’t wait for a text message. “Hello,” Adam answered. “I’m not sure what we’d do with those numbers, but I feel like we need a couple,” I told Adam, completely forgoing any greeting. “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Adam responded. I laughed so loudly it woke up two of my cats (no small accomplishment; I’m pretty sure they could sleep through a nuclear explosion). “I’m pretty sure neither of us could be married to any other human on the planet,” I told Adam, laughing. “I’m not sure other people appreciate our particular type of weird.” Adam and I had a great weekend together. Our son, Jake, is visiting his grandparents in Watertown for a while, so we’re home alone. We went out for lunch. We ran errands together. We visited my family. Despite all the good things we did together, this probably 30-second exchange about the brass numbers in a box at an antique store was the highlight of my weekend. It made me laugh. It reminded me that God definitely brought Adam and I together for a reason, even if that reason is that our types of weird align. It also reminded me how important the little moments can be. It’s easy for me to fall into the trap of expecting to see God working in big ways. I know he can do that. He can work miracles. He can give us profound moments where we feel his love. But often, experience tells me, God chooses to show his love in small ways – in that awe we experience when we see a beautiful sunrise, in the calm joy we feel when a cool breeze blows on our faces, and in the every-day expressions of love.But like I had to be willing to see the humor, love and joy in the common weird I share with my husband, we have to choose to cherish the small gifts given to us by our Lord. Those gifts are even better than antique brass numbers with history (though we’re pretty sure the few we purchased will look interesting in our house). |
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