The team I was playing on had just won a highly contested game. The fans were celebrating, along with most of the players. I found myself instead doing what I usually do to retain my calm and control: I immediately focused on the next game.

It is good to be prepared for the future, and it is true that some people get so caught up emotionally in the present they aren’t ready for what comes next, but that has never been my tendency. Not too high and not too low! That has been my emotional mantra for most of my life.

It makes for calm approach, but it can be a thief.

God Moments

Yesterday I was in the middle of my regular afternoon walk. It was a little late and I knew I had to hurry to finish before dark. Then my eyes caught a glimpse of a magnificent maple tree in fluorescent yellow fall foliage. Highlighted by the setting sun, its brilliance begged for homage. I spoke out loud to no one in particular, “That is beautiful.” My next thought was, “but I must hurry. There is no time to stop” – just like I hadn’t taken time to stop and celebrate after the game.

This time, though, I chose against my tendency to move on without appreciating the moment. I stopped long enough to give thanks to God for beauty, and  for the ability to recognize it.

It was a God moment.  I have missed too many of those.

Too Much Stimulus, Too Much Hurry

Our culture pushes us toward hurry. We are always moving on. We suffer from stimulus overload. We see so much, and experience such dramatic phenomena, we become dull to the moments when we could stop in time and experience the transcendent.

Our hurrying habits have led many to claim that God doesn’t speak or reveal Himself in our era. Others complain that life is dull and boring; they suspect that God has forsaken them. The truth is that there are God moments built into every day. The same One who created the universe with its many marvels is very concerned that we enjoy what he has provided. He enjoys our joy!

Make Room for God Moments

The holiday season in particular can overload us with stimuli. I encourage you to expect the divine encounters and embrace them. Take time to worship. You don’t necessarily need to go to a church structure to meet the divine when you recognize you’re already in the great cathedral of his creation,  and when you realize that through the grace of the incarnation, God is present and ready to be worshipped. 

Make sure your calendar makes room for many God moments. They open doors for light and life to enter your world.