The Parable of Snickers and Other Reflections: Eternity Hidden in the Ordinary

This work consists of a compilation of shorter pieces including stories parables anecdotes and recollections all under the umbrella of reflections. Some of these pieces the reader will find quite funny though the fun often has a strong punch line. Others in places are frankly poignant or even painful as is the normal way with life. Within these pages is a rich array of topics themes and moods covering a span of many years. It is all non-fiction consisting of descriptions reflections and in many instances words we felt we heard from the Lord concerning my or our experiences some reaching far back into childhood and others more recent. In a way this is not a work with one unifying and dominant theme while in other and deeper ways it is very much so. The underlying dynamic of hearing God gurgles along like a stream beneath a mill providing the energy to turn the wheel that grinds the grist into flour which is then kneaded and formed into the bread of the finished work. Hearing is an integral part of how we relate to the Lord and through Him to others and to the world. Hearing is central. It is the glue-or to keep the analogy the gluten-that holds it all together. And just as relating to God is central so is its corollary relationship with others. These inextricably intertwined themes we trust will be abundantly manifest from beginning to end. There is always some larger message in anything for it is after all a sacramental world. Indeed a sacrament is a sort of parable in action. The larger parabolic messages the most profound things are often found in the small the hidden and the subtle. Our intent is to demonstrate this intriguing reality by offering these stories as teaching vehicles as parables though they are not always titled as such. These reflections are little windows into our lives and histories written with the hope that others will not only enjoy them but identify and perhaps even gain some insights into their own situations. We believe that the reader will find ample occasion to smile to laugh or to cry with us and perhaps even find healing and joy. At the very least we hope the reader will find it all to be just good engaging reading.