Tuesday, July 22, 2014

On Being in the Moment




Some things just will not last forever, or even for very long. That is just as well for some, but a seeming shame for others, especially if they hold great meaning for us. Wouldn’t we like it if something lovely could grace our eyes a bit longer…if a pink dawn could hold its spot in the morning skies before losing ground to an urgent sunrise…or a delicate dew drop could tremble just a while longer before disappearing in the approaching warmth?

Open to the great Whole....

What we come to know over time is that, when dealing with something ephemeral, we give it all our attention so that we won’t miss a stroke of its gifts. I think that some contemplative times are like that. Some days we are in such a good place, such an invitational openness, that we seem wide open to the great Whole…at least for some moments. At other times, it feels like a slog just to get quiet, but that makes the vast silence so much more beautiful when it comes to us.

Keep our attention close at hand...

Perhaps we are meant to appreciate the good and the meaningful the moment it shows up. It may not last long. Perhaps we are meant to keep our attention close at hand so that we miss none of God’s wonderful surprises. We can often be so demanding of the conditions and people in our worlds that we are trying to bend them into the shapes we want them to be. Not only is this very difficult if not impossible, but think also of the time lost in manipulating rather than participating. Who by demanding can keep the sunrise from breaking?

This moment belongs to itself...

This time, this moment belongs to itself and to us if we will enter into it, leaving our pushing and shoving at the door. The luxurious, exotic and frothy bearded iris is emergent for one day, its heightened magnificence only for hours. Let’s watch…


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