Learning to Recognize Holy Moments in Everyday Life
Ordinary moments are the pieces of life we rarely notice: such as waking up, putting breakfast together, a phone call from your adult child, washing dishes, going to work, or resting quietly at the end of a busy day. Ordinary moments may appear unremarkable because they are a part of our daily routine. But if we pay attention to the moment we are in, it can become an extraordinary moment.
When you woke up, did you notice the sun shining in the window or a colorful sky painted by God? Did you really focus on that phone call? Not what was said, but how it was said? Did you pay attention when you washed your dishes, or did you just run some water over them? Did you notice, really see and really hear your coworkers today? The difference is not just about what happened but how we see it and integrate it into our world. Holy moments invite us to be present in every moment of every day, to live in the moment vs just look at it from the outside.
Recognizing holy moments requires practice until noticing becomes your new normal. It will require you to slow down, pay closer attention, and practice listening skills to make sure you understand someone correctly. After practicing these skills, the ordinary may remain ordinary, but you will have noticed it, seen it, heard it, felt it— all these invite you to tune into something deeper, something like God.
To have holy moments does not mean we will have a perfect life. We don’t have to pretend everything is always fine or better than fine. We still need to be honest, show compassion when needed, offer forgiveness, give a simple smile or greeting, hold a door open for someone, and share something of ourselves.
Notice the world around you. Is it sunny, cloudy, or raining…does the weather affect your mood? Did you kiss your spouse goodbye when you left for work?
Did you talk to your children? Did you see your dog and touch them or give them food? Did the cat rub its body against your leg, perhaps a cat ‘thank you’?
We can discover that extraordinary moments are all around us if we look for them.
And remember, in HIS hands we live; do you hear His still small voice?
Shalom, shalom,
Kristin Gedstad