I must admit, the days sometimes feel so laborious. Moving through one day after another, trying to be attentive to my personal commitments, to our way of life, to the internal struggles and victories, to the people He sends my way (especially those I struggle with), to the work in front of me, to the needs around me, all while trying to see God’s hand in it all. TRYING to see God’s hand in it and through it all. That’s the key. Is it my lens or is it God’s lens through which I view the world around me?
When we have encounters throughout the day (as we all do) that weigh down our spirits, it’s hard to say, “Welcome. Come, Lord Jesus.” It’s hard for us to see God at work in the moments that tinge our pride and cause internal distress. Yet, these are some of the richest moments. I keep telling myself this and my great hope is that it continues to sink in. These are the moments where God is very clearly showing me a space where He sees great potential.
In retrospect, I would logically agree as He has proven time and time again how faithful He is in this way. It’s the areas of struggle, suffering and sacrifice where real growth happens and flourishes. However, knowing this doesn’t make it any easier.
To come to the end of one day well lived from beginning to end. Wow. The graces being showered upon us all day long come in torrents, but softly. As odd as that does sound, I do believe it to be so. The air around us is swimming in grace. Yet, it’s almost imperceptible unless you’ve formed and trained yourself to be attentive to it. All of it through His grace, of course. How often we can miss it all. We can come to the end of our day and wonder where the hours have gone and unsure of what we have to offer the Lord from our endeavors that day.
Can you tell I am writing this reflection at the end of a day that had a lot of challenges?
I’ve often thought of how amazing it would be to live life so attentive to God’s promptings that we move and have our being in Him. To have ego so removed from our DNA that the lens we see out of is God’s lens. To see all those we would cross paths with as brothers and sisters, beloved children of our Heavenly Father. The receptivity of heart, the spirit of service, the gift of unfiltered presence, the vulnerability of coming as we are and receiving others as they are. Wow. No matter how off kilter our days might seem, this is what we are aiming for. Every day IS an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord. And the closer we draw, the more we will be like Him. The more we are like Him, the more we will see all that happens in life through His lens.
Thank God tomorrow is a new day and we will try again. Trusting that with every new day, we are entering into it just a little different than the day before. God knows our hearts and somehow, He uses even random reflections like this to bring about some good for His people! God bless YOU.
