This message was suggested by the writings of Frederick Buechner, especially from his book, 'Alphabet of Grace.' I've used the concept by linking to the story of Jacob, who at Bethel, a first and second time, encountered God and was forever changed. 'Surely the Lord was in this place and I knew it not,' was his first response after his dream as he slept, with a stone for a pillow, in which angels ascended and descended upon a ladder stretching from heaven to earth. In the second enounter, he wrestled with an angel and when he had almost won, instead was defeated - 'a magnificent defeat,' really. He was wounded and carried that deformity for the rest of his life. What a reminder.

The cheat, scoundrel, conniver 'Jacob' has a name change, to 'Israel' - one who has wrestled with God (!) and overcome.

We often miss God in our everyday life, but God is speaking to us. Yes, through Scripture as His Spirit guides, teaches, convinces and convicts, but also through the events of our life, large and small, that are like individual letters. Taken together, they make up words and sentence and paragraphs - messages from God to be pondered and acted upon.

To and through our very lives, God speaks!