Learning to See the Day

As was typical of a season long ago, I had a pile of little boys in the back of my red minivan. We were driving down the street toward our home when I noticed some unusual dark grey storm clouds in the sky. Behind the clouds was a glowing blue sky, with splashes of pink and gold.

It was the beginning of sunset, and, evidently, my then 4-year-old son had never seen the sky exactly like that before.

“I never saw today!” he exclaimed as he peered out the van window, reacting to the sky.

The wonder in his voice floored me. The only way he could think of to describe this amazing sky was, “I never saw today!”

As he said that, I was reminded that I, too, “never saw today.” My day had been full of school parties and, upon arriving home, I would continue to prepare for another party that evening. I was scurrying around managing the tasks of the day and hadn’t stopped once to wonder at the day given to me by my Creator.

Presence makes life so much more enjoyable. Over the years, I have learned how to listen to the person speaking to me, to see the flowers on the path along my walk, to sense the love of God as I attend to my errands, and, yes, to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

It is simple presence in the seemingly mundane that can give meaning to our days…because we know that God is with us and we are with Him.

So instead of “Seize the day” what if we try to “See today.”

Reflection

To put feet on this, why not experiment with being present and aware during one of your appointments or tasks.

If you are meeting with a person:

•  Look them in the eye.
• Listen attentively.
• Pray for them as they speak to you.
• Let God’s love flow through you to them.

If you are accomplishing a task:

•  Give God thanks for this opportunity.
• Notice your surroundings. Is there something unexpected?
• Try to find beauty in the moment (even if there isn’t anything inherently beautiful).
• Sense God’s love for you as you engage in this work/event/task.

 Learning to become present moment by moment is an ongoing process. Give yourself some space and some grace.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash