Finding God in a Hammock

Without delay, I have to share the exciting news of the newest addition to the RU campus: hammocks. Today, they popped up all over campus, and they are a thing of beauty. I’m not sure who was behind this, but I definitely approve. On my way to class this morning, I saw Physical Plant setting them up outside of Corcoran. They were directly across the sidewalk from the hospitality tent that is being set up for the upcoming Family Weekend events, so I didn’t really think anything of it. I thought they were part of the weekend festivities. I also had a big exam on my mind and that hot new song by Pitbull and Neyo was playing on my iPod, so, needless to say, I was a little distracted.

On my way back from class, around 3:00 this afternoon, I saw more hammocks outside the back of the XL dorm. The icing on the cake occurred when I got down into the Townhouses (THVs). There, in all its glory, was an oversized hammock not 20 steps from my front door. It’s almost as if it were meant just for me. I looked around to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I ran into my THV, dropped off my backpack, and then ran back out to inspect the hammock, afraid I would miss my chance to enjoy it if I didn’t hurry.

Now, I must admit that I am not the most graceful person and I had had a challenging experience with a hammock at a family reunion about 10 years ago. I had never seen a hammock this big, so I was analyzing my best entry strategy. I found the perfect balance right in the middle of thing, and I took a deep sigh of relief. This week has been difficult. I had two pretty challenging exams, and my car had broken down. Lying in that hammock with the late September breeze blowing on my face made all of that disappear. I put Bruce Springsteen on my iPod and closed my eyes, enjoying the opportunity to slow down for the next half hour.

I couldn’t help but think of the theme for this academic year: finding God in all things. Today, I found God in the middle of a hammock after a challenging week. Where have you found God this week?