When I was growing up, I went fishing in the Delaware with a homemade fishing pole, floated the river with a old tire tube, played running bases with the kids in the neighborhood, rode my bike everywhere, and skipped stones. Skipping stones started out as a competition with friends to see who could skip a stone more times than the rest of the group. Later in life, skipping stones was simply a calming activity whenever the opportunity arose. Sometimes I would be hiking and find some stones near a stream; soon I would be skipping stones. I did not count the number of times a stone skipped across the water, but simply watched the ripples of water widen then disappear. Not really exciting, is it? But it is quieting to me. Many times our lives experience calm but are then interrupted by stones (that something like illness, storms, finances, etc.). I am not sure why this memory popped up for me today. Maybe I am considering skipping stones!
St. Thomas UCC, Bethlehem – worship audio 090824 –
In plain sight 