Sacred Moments

“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike.” (Romans 14:5 NIV)

Life is a string of days ranging from the profane to the sacred. Most of our hours are spent somewhere in between--on mundane activities and pursuits. We are in the habit of assigning worth to each day based on productivity, pleasure, or profit. Like colored, glass beads, these worldly measures may elicit admiration, but, in reality, they have very little significance.

“To be a contemplative we must begin to see time, not as a commodity, but as a sacrament revealing God to us in the here and now.”  (Joan Chittester)

To contemplate means to meditate, to ponder, to reflect upon. The opposite is to ignore, reject, disregard, or look away. Most of us fill our days pursuing diversions. We fill our hours ignoring and rejecting God rather than  tuning in to Him. Our time is worth much more than we realize. Each day has the potential to be sacramental. We can choose to spend our time trading for temporal trinkets or consecrate each moment to that which is sacred. God is with us here and now. He doesn’t hide, but sometimes we bury Him under distractions.

Contemplation uncovers the Spirit within us and around us. Our life can be filled with sacred moments where we notice God in everything and experience the delight of His presence.  As we yield, we become like a leaf carried by a river--immersed in the Spirit, drowning, flowing. We are powerless, but free from illusions of control. We are overwhelmed, but energized. We are drenched, yet refreshed.

Lord, may my days be a series of sacred moments in which I delight in You.