By Alaine Reichle

Sometimes in life it seems like we’re standing by the sidelines watching ourselves rush by to the next appointment...

Alaine Reichle | Contributor

When you’re working in a church things, pass by you quickly. In one week you have Bible studies to write, services to go to, dinners to make, retreats to lead, meetings to attend, and bulletin boards to put together. It’s the second week of my internship at St. Luke-Ann Arbor and I’ll be doing these things for years to come. I couldn’t be happier. Yet, some nights I go home exhausted and I don’t want to put more energy into being with friends or family. It’s been two weeks and God is already teaching me that I need to slow down and listen.

Sometimes in life it seems like we’re standing by the sidelines watching ourselves rush by to the next appointment. We go and go and push the wonder and quiet time into the margins of our life. I know that every day in a million little ways God is telling me He loves me, but often I just rush by and forget to thank Him or I make decisions without consulting Him first. Then, time and again, He reminds me, He gets my attention, and He whispers, ‘quiet down, look around you.’

Last night, somewhat against my will, I went to Metamorphosis, a church my friend Khad [pronounced Chad] Young started at the Tap Room in Ypsilanti. I had just gotten out of a meeting and a full day of office work and I was tired, and I wasn’t sure if more social interaction for a very introverted person was going to make my day better. I wanted to go to bed. My fiancé and I used to be regular attendees until classes and fieldwork prevented us from going for an entire semester. It would be our first chance to go in months, and my fiancé insisted we do so. From the moment we got there I knew it was the right decision.

Alaine Reichle is the family life Intern at St. Luke- Ann Arbor, where she works with programs for junior and senior high students. Alaine will be contributing to this faith blog as part of her internship.

Alaine Reichle | Contributor

Even though the bar was loud, my heart was finally quiet. I felt His love in a good conversation, in the study of His words, and in a hug at the end of the night. As we drove back to my apartment, I sat looking out the window at the twinkling Christmas lights hung on the trees, the brick buildings lining the street, and the purple neon lights glowing through the dark. In that moment I could see the beauty I had been missing out on because I didn’t take time to stop.

It’s much easier to see God’s beauty and love in the spring because of the vivid flowers and the green leaves, but just because those leaves have fallen or the ground is covered in wet snow doesn’t mean that He isn’t still there. Maybe it’s just in a sand dollar souvenir or a shared piece of gum.

Alaine Reichle is the family life intern at St. Luke-Ann Arbor. She works with programs for junior and senior students, such as the Wednesday Night Live Bible Study, confirmation sessions, and Sunday morning education classes. Alaine can be contacted at areichle@stlukeaa.org.