No Trivial Pursuit

You are working in a garden on a beautiful sunlit morning pulling out dandelions. Suddenly, you drop to your knees and discover beauty in the unique coloring, beauty in the intricate design, beauty even in the strange smell. Suddenly the dandelion is transformed. You know it’s more than just an ugly yellow weed; it’s a little bit of the wonder and the glory of God. Suddenly, you can appreciate in a whole new way the pietistic phrase, “Let go and let God.” Suddenly you can hear yourself saying, “Let it be! Let it be! Let it be!”

You watch your child marching to the marriage altar and, suddenly, no longer do you see messy rooms; no longer do you remember late, anxious nights; no longer do you hear angry shouting. Suddenly you realize that in your experience of parenting you have encountered something of the Divine Love — that intense, irrational love which nothing can shut out. And your child is transformed before your…