Do we notice what is right before us?

This week has been a welcome change of pace at Bethesda. Rally Day, the beginning of our new cycle of Christian Education, is this week. We will have a light breakfast together. We will talk about the variety of educational offerings that Bethesda has to offer families. 

Then we will finish our time with some fun. 

On Monday morning my phone vibrated on my desk startling me. Our Christian Education director was checking in to see if I was willing to fill my customary role at Rally Day (besides praying for the food)? Would I create our annual scavenger hunt for anyone who comes to Rally Day to complete? 

For the last couple of years I have challenged our church family to count both the number of hymnals in the sanctuary and the lights in the Family Life Center. I asked them what hymn is on page 123 and to notice how many bookmarks are in Bible on the pulpit? 

Our DCE wondered: would I do this again? 

Of course I would! I love doing it. Plus: there will be prizes for anyone who completes the puzzle! 

Grabbing my notebook, I began the slow walk around the property searching for material for the hunt. Now I won't spoil any of the questions, but I will say, this year's hunt is challenging. 

Breathing in deeply as I walked into familiar every space I scanned the rooms looking around. The sanctuary with its familiar reverence. The quietness of the Christian Education building. The buzz of children in the Family Life Center. I experienced it all in just a few minutes and appreciated what each room brings to Bethesda. 

There is so much to notice here. 

Yet I wondered, do we stop and truly notice what is right before our eyes each day? Can we spot the hidden details that God has placed before us? And by spotting them, can we see God at work as well?