Cathedral Moments in the Here and Now

"Life is not an emergency. It necessitates living slow." Ann Voskamp

I am savoring reading One Thousand Gifts once again, this time aloud. Did I mention that already? I ask with a smile. This morning in my readings, Ann mentions cathedral moments. Oh, these don't take place in a church but under the sky and on the earth, where we place our daily feet.

Brene' Brown says that part of the problem with us here in America is that we are constantly striving to be extraordinary; so much so, that its not okay to just be ordinary.  

 To live, love, joy, suffer, cry, care, give in the ordinary days of life.

For years, decades really, my cathedral moments were spent in church. I counted them as works toward being that extraordinary woman of God, always striving toward her, never quite measuring up.

Over the past year and a half, I can count the times I've been in church on both hands twice. But my cathedral moments are more than I can number.

Here are a few of those moments from the past week:

• back to the gym, walking a mile, listening to God
• Kate confirming the path to take for me nutritionally
• simple answers to prayer
• making smoothies with my sis-in-law
• reading a good book
• saying a prayer over another

and my favorites:

• cuddling with Lily in the rocker, reading a book
• Ken's arm around me, close, sharing her life and concerns
• Amber's smile and excitement for a new possibility

For those of you who are worried about me and my lack of church attendance, I plan to go back sometime, but never like before. Every morning I rise and spend at least two hours with Jesus, my Bible, my books, my journal and prayer. Nevertheless, it is in the living of those words I hear and read where it really matters. 

It is in the "Here" where "eucharisteo" (giving of thanks)  transforms thorns of life into beauty of grace. 

"The body and soul can synchronize." Ann V.

How long has it been since your body and soul lived in sync? 

One of my favorite verses used to be "In Christ, I live and move and have my being." Acts 17:28

I was perpetually striving and fighting to find that place. I'm here now.

In Christ, my body and soul are in sync. I listen to my spirit.

I read something this week. If you keep pulling to the right or the left, there is a strain, a heaviness but it is staying right here, under Christ's yoke, where there is a lightness, a peace.

I have not always done so. 

When the Bible speaks of Naaman, it says that he was a valiant man, but he was a leper.

Beth Moore talked about that this week and encouraged us to write our own sentence.

Mine would go something like this.

She was a woman of faith, but she was a struggler.

I want to stop struggling. 

Here.

Now.

I am an ordinary woman with an extraordinary God.