WATCHWORD:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2
Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the Earth you have set your glory above the heavens. When I consider the work of your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him. Psalm 8:1,3-4.
Meditation:
Grace Moments
Nearly six years ago I posted an essay entitled Moments of Beauty that fit so closely with a recent Jesus Calling devotional. The jest of both meditations is that God’s graces are all around us. Our task is to absorb the moment, be grateful to the Lord, and to feel the joy.
Put yourself in this: You are on a solitary hike in the mountains. It’s a day in spring, it is warm, the sky is deep blue, and wildflowers are everywhere. In short, it is a perfect day, and you alone are there to witness this bit of God’s handiwork. There should be a crowd, a huge crowd, the largest in the world to see this and feel the beauty of the day. But it’s just you, and you stand there and soak up the perfect scene. Thank you, God.
Perhaps you were on a walk that brought you to the edge of a playground. In the distance, a young father kneels before his small son, who is sprawled on the ground crying. The father gently lifts the son to his feet and kisses the bruised knees. Even from this distance you can tell that the child has stopped crying and is giggling. The father gathers the child in his arms. Moments later, the son is on his father’s shoulders as they leave the park. In your heart you know you just witnessed God’s love in action. The beauty of the moment is real, and you soak up the perfect scene. Thank you, God.
Even in the loss of a loved one, where grief enfolds you like a rough blanket, and you feel lost, there is hope. In the midst of your sadness you recall a special moment, you and your loved one. Just a glimpse, a moment that was so special that it is like a message from the loved one, out there, waiting for you, and the sharpness of grief lessens for a time. The beauty of that moment was real, and you soak up the memory of that perfect scene. Thank you, God.
In Jesus Calling, the Lord tells us: “I speak to you continually. My nature is to communicate, though not always in words. I fling glorious sunsets across the sky, day after day after day. I speak in the faces in the voice of loved ones. I caress you with a gentle breeze that refreshes and delights you. I speak softly in the depths of your spirit, where I have taken up residence. You can find me each moment when you have eyes that see and ears that hear. It takes practice but in those quiet intervals you’ll find me more and more. You will seek me and find me when you seek me above all else.”
We need these moments; we need to recall those moments in detail and appreciate them. We need soak them up, tuck them away in our memory so they are available when we need a moment.
Sometimes those moments are filled with people, children, maybe a basket of puppies or kittens. Or, maybe all you need is the touch of a loved one, as your hand finds theirs and for some stupid reason you find tears of joy in your eyes, and together you laugh.
Whatever fills your heart with joy, treasure that. Whatever causes you to reach out to a friend or a loved one, treasure that. Whatever causes you to feel compassion and to act, treasure that. These are all God moments, messages for you to hold dear. Messages from our creator God.
Closing Prayer:
God of Yesterday, Holy Hope for the Future, Running through my head throughout today is a moment from years ago. I was young with friends I had left in the past. The laughter was loud and our smiles were widening across our faces. As a song from yesterday lifts my spirits- It’s reached into my soul in a way that I just can’t explain. But it’s transported my mind back to being a young one again.
These are the moments that are worth more than gold. But I can’t abide in yesterday- Otherwise I’m gonna turn into a pillar of salt. Today I thank you for the flashes from yesteryear, For the joys of nostalgia, and the stories which I carry. Help me to savor the joy of memories but to leave them in the past. Give me the drive to live fully into today’s realm And to dream about a future with hope. Amen.
