Dancing with God: Seeing God in the Everydayness of Life
By Roger Button
()
About this ebook
It is easy to see God in a blue sky with puffy clouds. It is harder to see God in the mud puddles. If God is in the blue skies and puffy clouds of life, he is also in the mud puddles. This book is dedicated to helping people see God in the everydayness of life. When things are going well and even when you step into a mud puddle God is there with you and for you. I hope that as you read this book your eyes will start to see the little things that God is up to every daythe little miracles that happen. As people read this book, my prayer is that the broken find healing and the hopeless find hope.
Roger Button
Roger Button is the Chaplain at the Clark County Family YMCA. He is an ordained, recorded Quaker minister. He holds a master of divinity degree and a certificate in spiritual formation; he is also a certified spiritual director. He has been a youth pastor, an associate pastor, and a senior pastor. He has spent time inside the walls of the church, but God has called him outside of the church, a place that was modeled for us by Jesus. He loves the YMCA and believes in its mission.
Related to Dancing with God
Related ebooks
I Don’T Want to Be a Pastor’S Wife Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLies Among Thieves Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCalled! Step by Step Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLessons Learned, Hopefully: Essays About Life Experiences and the Lessons Derived from Those Experiences Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLike Crabs in a Barrel: A Nurse's Testimony on Overcoming Adversity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Will Mentor You: A Christian Woman's Roadmap for Traveling Life Together Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLearning to Be You: How Our True Identity in Christ Sets Us Free Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pursuing Christ. Creating Art.: Exploring Life at the Intersection of Faith and Creativity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhere There's Hope: Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To Climb the Mountain Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Do Something Else: The Road Ahead for the Mainline Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNeighbouring for Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEverybody's Midwife: My Community Experience Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPraying for the Neighborhood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnworthy, Chosen, and Forgiven: A Life and Love That Was Meant to Be Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGreatest Days Are Ahead!, The Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Life After Death: A Guide to the Afterlife Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOur Life Our Way: A Memoir of Active Faith, Profound Love and Courageous Disability Rights Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWednesdays At The Fluff 'n' Fold: A Caregiver's Oasis Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Daughter of the Sanctuary: My Life as a Woman Evangelist Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrow Your Church Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Coming Down from the Mountain: A Journey Through Catholicism to the God of Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ever-Widening Circles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHelp! I'm in Love!: The Dynamics of E-Motion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSet Free Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJUST THINKING!: A SPIRITUAL THOUGHT ON EVERYDAY HAPPENINGS! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTraveling in the Spirit Made Simple: The Kingdom of God Made Simple, #4 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beside Me: A Spiritual Journey in Trust Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWon't You Take My Hand Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCaring for Caring: An Enriching, Kindhearted, Ethical Journey with Our Elders Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
New Age & Spirituality For You
Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking Is The Beginning & End Of Suffering Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams: The Ultimate A–Z to Interpret the Secrets of Your Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth Awakening to Your Life's Purpose Summary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mastery of Self: A Toltec Guide to Personal Freedom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Se Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reflections on the Psalms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heal the Witch Wound: Reclaim Your Magic and Step Into Your Power Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Soul Numbers: Decipher the Messages from Your Inner Self to Successfully Navigate Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As a Man Thinketh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Gospel of Mary Magdalene Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Pray: Reflections and Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Conversations With God, Book 3: Embracing the Love of the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Three Questions: How to Discover and Master the Power Within You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As A Man Thinketh: Three Perspectives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret History of the World Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Reviews for Dancing with God
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Dancing with God - Roger Button
Copyright © 2014 Roger Button.
Cover Design by Saundra Beauchaine.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
1 (866) 928-1240
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.
ISBN:978-1-4908-3124-4 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4908-3125-1 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-4908-3123-7 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014905467
WestBow Press rev. date: 3/24/2014
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Dancing with God
People Tend to Make a Lot out of Mondays
I Woke Up Early This Morning
Spiritual Dry Rot
Hootin’ and Hollerin’ on the River
Welcome to the Poophouse
Things a Horse Taught Me
Honeybucket RV Rentals
That’s Why
People Are Funny Creatures
Loving Others without Consuming Them
Hospitality Is Not Hard
God Runs the Show Completely
I Do Not Want to Be a Bathroom Door
One of My Morning Chores Was Feeding the Horses
Our Ride Took Us through Albuquirky
My Zipper Broke
I Have Been to Helena and Back
Why Did You Put Him in the Chipper?
Okeydoke and You Betcha
The Best Stop Ever!
Katie, Kim, Ruth, Mark, Beverly, and a Full Belly
Just Because I’m Paranoid Doesn’t Mean They Aren’t Out to Get Me
A Flat Tire on the Road Trip of Life
Hurt People Hurt People
Another Day in the Old West
Home Again
Have You Ever Had a Nudge?
The Cat’s in the Cradle and the Silver Spoon
I’ve Got Nothing
This old house
Abe, a River, and Cheetos
The Little River behind My House
Fly-Fishing and Ministry
Cheese, Crackers, PowerBait, and Unhealthy Spirituality
Things My Grandfather Taught Me
Simplexity
The ZipStrip Incident of 1976
A Chicken Named Pit Silo
The Case of the Empty Coffee Cup
Ice-skating the Great Republican River
You call me out upon the waters.
The great unknown where feet may fail
The Red-Handled Screwdriver Incident of 1974
Don’t Put Your Date in the Trunk
A Conversation about Heaven
Dramastically
Making Room for God; a Forced Sabbath
A Quiet Morning
Getting on Right Race Boulevard
Roses or Fish Bombs?
Bibliography
sepa.jpgI see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
Those who press with the ardour of hope,
and others who faint with the strife.
But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears—
Both parts of an infinite plan.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be the friend I can.
Sam Walter Foss¹
Dedication
sepa.jpgWhen I was in my final year of Seminary, I found a connection between Martin Luther, and Saint John of the Cross. I was given the opportunity to get my PHD in either Germany, where Martin Luther lived, or Spain, where Saint John of the Cross lived. Needles to say, I was excited at the opportunity. I came home and told Laurie (Laurie is my wife).
Laurie stood silently for a moment then looked lovingly into my eyes and said, You are not dragging this family to Europe for six years while you are busy studying something only you and four other people in the entire world care about.
She went on to say, Your job is to put the cookies on the bottom shelf. Your job is to make Christ accessible to people.
After I got done pouting. I realized that Laurie was right. My job is to help people see Christ in the everydayness of their lives.
This book is dedicated to my wife Laurie. The woman whose job it is to keep me from getting to far into my own head and keep my feet on the ground. To the woman who has shown me unconditional love 99.9% of the time. I also want to dedicate this book to my dog Abe, a great friend and companion, a dog that has shown me unconditional love 100% of the time.
I love you Laurie, more than life itself.
Acknowledgements
sepa.jpgWords cannot convey my deep appreciation to the people who have helped make this book possible. To the Clark County Family YMCA staff, who are busy everyday being Christ’s hands and feet. They are a source of inspiration. To Corinn DeWaard, a great friend and a great person. Her thoughts and edits have made this book what it is. To Westbow Press for their dedication and Grace. They made this a joy to publish. Special thanks to Shaun Kauffman, your ideas and your ability to keep me on track has been invaluable. To Dr. Charles Conniry (Chuck), your friendship throughout the years has been a true blessing on my life. Your willingness to allow me to poke fun in the breads shows the true friend that you are. I cannot wait for the next ride. Thank you, each and every one of you. Know that you are loved.
Introduction
sepa.jpgDancing with God is a compilation of insights taken from my blog, Daily Bread for Ragamuffins.
I am a simple Quaker minister, more of a monk really. After spending time inside the walls of the church, I stepped out in front of the church in 2006. This is the story of how Dancing with God came to be.
In the little town where I was ministering, we had an ecumenical group. Ecumenical is a big word for a bunch of pastors from different denominations coming together to talk, to pray, and to encourage and empower one another. We would get together once a week. During one meeting, we complained that if everyone in town decided to attend services on any given Sunday, we would not have enough churches to hold everyone, but that our churches were nonetheless half-empty. (Yes, pastors complain too.) After this meeting, I told one of my pastor friends, I am starting to have trouble with the ‘Come and see’ style of church where we ask people to come and give us a try. I am starting to feel led to ‘Go and be.’
I decided to move my office to a local coffee shop. This worked fine for a few months. I would find a spot at the coffee shop, and people would come and see me. It was a great arrangement. The shop loved it; people were buying lots of coffee as they sat and talked with me. I liked it a lot. I would set up shop and drink copious amounts of coffee while I talked with people. I thought everything was going great until one day a still small voice said, I asked you to go and be, and you created another ‘Come and see.’
That still small voice bothered me. It was right; I had created another Come and see.
I started to think, What does it look, taste, and feel like to go and be?
We had a YMCA in our little town. I called and asked, Do you have any job openings?
The person on the other end said, Yes. We have weight room monitor.
I asked, What is a weight room monitor?
The person described the job, and I said, I would like to apply.
I met with the people at the YMCA, and they explained the requirements and told me the hours and the pay.
I said, It sounds wonderful. I will take it.
They said, Not so fast, cowboy. We need to see your résumé first.
I thought, My résumé? It is a minimum-wage position and only four hours per week and they want my résumé? I said, Okay.
I went home and grabbed my résumé. Yes, I had one ready. I guess it is a pastor thing; we are always building our résumés. I brought my résumé to the YMCA and presented it to the interviewers.
They read it and said, You would hate this position. You are vastly overqualified.
I responded, I do not think that I would hate this position. In fact, I think it is right up my alley.
They said, We don’t think you understand. This job is mainly janitorial.
I said, I read that in the job description.
They said, No, really. You will be wiping down sweaty machines.
I said, I figured that.
They said, You do not have a problem with that?
I responded, If Jesus Christ can wash feet, I can wipe down sweaty machines.
They said, Okay. We will give you a try.
On my first day as weight room monitor, I walked up to the cardio floor and saw a woman on a treadmill. She was running very hard; the treadmill sounded like a huge fan and was humming loudly. The woman was also crying very hard. She obviously was dealing with stuff. She was working on her body, but her emotional and spiritual self was a mess. I looked around the room. There were many people in basically the same boat. People work on their outside selves but not on their inside selves.
As I wiped down machines, I started talking with these people. This YMCA had an indoor walking track, and people would ask me to make the circuit with them. They would tell me their troubles, and I would pray with them and for them. Before long, the YMCA asked me to be the facility’s chaplain. I started writing what I called Breads
after a staff member asked me, Could you write an inspirational message?
The first Bread
went out to six people within the Y, and in a short time the messages gained a national audience. I created a blog site so that more people could access them. I called it Daily Bread for Ragamuffins. The site quickly grew to reach an international audience and now has thousands of readers in many countries.
Dancing with God is a compilation of some of these Breads.
This book is meant to be ruminated on. It is my attempt to give readers a way to see God in the everydayness of their lives. I hope that through this book the broken will find healing, the hopeless will find hope, and most of all, readers will see that they are not alone.
As we drive down the road of life, we seldom get to see what God is up to as we look through the windshield. It is only when we glance in the rearview mirror that we get an idea of what He has been doing. The problem is, we cannot spend all of our time looking in the rearview mirror as we drive the car. If we did, we would run into a tree. We are forced to look through the windshield and trust that God is working in our lives. This trust is called faith.
Enjoy the book. Visit Daily Bread for Ragamuffins at http://rogerbutton.blogspot.com/ and let me know your thoughts.
Dancing with God
sepa.jpgGood morning. I pray that the day finds you well.
The wind was blowing the other day, and I noticed a leaf being carried along. It blew one way, then another.
I watched as it went back and forth, tumbling over its stem, then over its