MONDAY OF THE FOURTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
It was still early this morning when I struggled with getting up and getting the day started or a few more precious moments in bed with my dog, Addie. (Don't tell my husband. His time at fire camp is the only mornings Addie and I get to snuggle in bed!)
As I lay there petting my very content dog, I was reminded of a co-worker that was always late to work in the mornings. Without apology or regret, she would tell us how she had dropped her daughters off late to school as well. It wasn't that she didn't care about all of them being late in the morning; it was that she did care, she cared about time with her family and being on time just wasn't as important. She had spent the morning enjoying snuggles in bed with her girls, making them breakfast, and playing with their dog. I can look back now and tell you, that woman had her priorities straight. Following her example this morning, I decided to be in the present moment and not rush into the nine items on my to-do list that need to be done before I start work.
The present moment. Yesterday, I mentioned the present moment, but perhaps it is more critical than a mention. Maybe you don't realize that if we don't stop and be present, we cannot have a relationship with others, and we miss out on an encounter with the Lord. I am so guilty of this. I am usually thinking about what needs to be done: laundry, dinner, planning next week's menu, noticing what needs to go the grocery list, what bills need paying . . .
I often forget to stop, breathe, be present, and be thankful for all my blessings. Like all relationships, I can't talk to God in yesterday or tomorrow. I can only be present with God in this moment. If I fail to spend time with the Lord and notice Him working in each moment of my day, I fail to have a relationship with Him.
Perhaps, it is all this time during the pandemic, but these days, I am more capable of slowing down and finding myself. There is an old pop song that I love, and it says: "All this time I was finding myself. And I didn't know I was lost." When we take time in the present moment to encounter God, we find our true self, the person we are called to be, and the thing that sets our hearts on fire.