Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Delaware

There's this adorable and brilliant author named Margaret Feinberg.  She's written some really great books including Organic God, The Sacred Echo, and most recently - Scouting the Divine. 

Nearly two years ago I first heard her speak at a conference.   She shared some really profound thoughts as she told her story - but all I'll reference from her talk in this post is that she explained the idea of a "sacred echo."  She talked about how there are patterns in life that repeat and cycle and there are things that we hear or see in unrelated places that echo one another as well.

Echoes are one of the ways I distinguish God's voice and  direction in my life.  My life is FULL of sacred echoes.  It's kind of ridiculous.  I think they're playing in all of our lives - we just have to be open to looking for them.  I had them before I heard Margaret speak and I was relieved when she articulated a name for this seeming phenomena them.

If I'm honest with you I just about hate "Here I Am Lord."  Most groups of people can't seem to master it's tempo.  It's over played.  And it's more than a tad campy - not in a good way.   So of course, like a cat that knows I'm allergic and want nothing to do with her - this song follows me.  It's haunts my life.  And every time I have to endure it - I grit my teeth and grimmace... and every time I'm convicted again by the line "I will hold your people in my heart."  It's as if God is (again) reminding me I even need to love the people that love this stupid song.

Then there's the Bible story of Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones.  It's one of THE coolest stories in the Bible and yet I meet people all the time that have NO IDEA what I'm talking about when I reference it.   I won't go into all the lessons God's taught me from this one story - I'll just say that it's been echoing in my life for almost a decade.
 
 Last week, I had a a few "horrible no good very bad" days in a row.  In the midst of it all God's voice was very clear.  Over four occasions in the last 5 days - there they were, both of them, Here I Am Lord AND Ezekiel in his valley, staring me in face.  It made me laugh out loud - which almost always makes me feel better. 

So I'm wondering - What messages does God repeat over you in your life?  What's one of your sacred echoes??