Woman to Woman: Sacred Steps

“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.”

Psalm 73:28-ESV

Since my Lenten journey slows my pace, shifting my focus to a more intentional walk with Jesus, savoring the sacred in the everyday moves me to overwhelming gratitude.

Walking with Jesus in my days rather than running ahead or lagging behind, or taking another road altogether, opens my eyes to His Presence.

But more than simple awareness, experiencing the sacred connection transforms mundane moments into worship.

For most people, thoughts of the sacred conjures up visions of religious ceremonies, emotional church worship times, or awe-inspiring cathedrals. But sacred moments simply encompass experiencing a profound encounter with God’s Presence.

Savoring the sacred in the everyday exists outside of schedules, the sacred peeks into our days unexpected and unscheduled.

Certainly, we experience the sacred in church, but most often those powerful moments when we feel most spiritually connected with God, occur in the midst of our daily lives.

Different for everyone, savoring the sacred becomes an intensely personal encounter beyond any rigid definitions.

Ideally, no amount of searching or vigilance produces the sacred: it finds you. No rules, rituals, or incredible gifts of spiritual discernment needed.

Rather, an inclination to create space in your daily agenda, an openness of heart eager for receiving an unexpected visitor.

The only true secret of savoring the sacred in the everyday, rests in the release of your rigid agenda in exchange for an embrace of the divine.

Though savoring the sacred in the everyday looks different for everyone, one thing remains common for all: unexpected Joy and Gratitude.

Whether encountering a sacred pause in a star-studded night, the touch of a familiar hand in yours, or the silky feel of a dog’s floppy ears through your fingers; you never forget that moment.

Each time I step on sacred ground within my day, I wonder how many times I passed by without stopping there before?

The more I pursue stillness, the more I understand the tyranny of busyness.

Full schedules bully our days, pushing us through our tasks so quickly, we miss the savor of the sacred. Think of how much you notice while on a walk compared with driving.

Cultivating awareness of the present offers the best way of creating space for the sacred. Consider a few adjustments to your schedule and process of your days and begin savoring the sacred in your daily moments.

Begin. Start your day by releasing your schedule to Christ. Yes, you have appointments, obligations, and desires for your day. Avoid a tight-fisted hold on your agenda by releasing the outcome of your day to God. You may be surprised how well things actually go.

Breathe. Instead of racing through your day from one event, appointment, or task to the next, pause. Create a brief moment for transitioning from one thing to the next; in the breath of a moment, the sacred visits.

Balance. Create space in your days for the sacred by incorporating pleasure pauses. Even five or ten minutes viewing a slide show of your favorite photos on your computer, or a brief barefoot walk on your front lawn, breaks the tyranny of busyness.

Embrace Everyday Opportunities

· Housework

· Gardening

· A Walk in Nature

· Drive time

· Encounters with others-even strangers!

· Talking or playing with children

· Random acts of kindness

· Cooking

All of these activities and responsibilities offer opportunities for seeing, feeling, and savoring the sacred in your mundane moments.

When you slow down, you see, when you see, you feel, when you feel, you experience.

Existing everywhere, sacred moments happen anytime, anywhere. While you have no power or control over them, you do have control over creating space and intention in your heart for receiving them.

Ultimately, truly savoring the sacred in your everyday involves surrender.

The surrender of tight-fisted agendas, bloated schedules, and accomplishment driven days. The delicate beauty of the sacred comes on the wings of stillness, visible only to those who look for it.