“Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.” —Abraham Joshua Heschel
Did we really have Christmas? Is it already the middle of January? They say time flies the older you get, but I’m beginning to get whiplash from time flying so quickly. Whew!
Perhaps the perception of age grants a certain wisdom about the preciousness of each day. I read something several years ago by innovator, business leader and author Mark Levy. Each new year I am reminded that even though we’d like to believe in “Back to the Future,” there are no “do-overs.” We cannot turn back the clock. Each day we are given 86,400 seconds, 1440 minutes, 24 hours. No carry-overs. The next day offers the same amount of time, the same amount of opportunity and possibility.
Within each day, it is important to find balance to how we choose to live our lives. We need food, water, shelter, rest, and activities for mind, body, and spirit. We need relationships, love, and a sense of meaning or purpose.
Recognizing each moment of our life as a precious gift can lead to being much more mindful of the things we say and do that reflect the love of God in our lives. The things we do and say, the priorities we make—both intentional and unintentional—are important. There can be freedom in living each day as a gift.
I think of some of the amazing people who have recently transitioned from the world and who left an incredible legacy, such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu. His laughter and joy, as well as persistent honest witness of what is possible amidst the atrocities of what humankind can do to one another, was a powerful example of the power of faith, mercy, and love of God.
One of my favorite prayers is from Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. Adapted from Ephesians 3:14–19, maybe this prayer, with inclusive adaptations, will offer a bit of perspective for living the fullness of life as God’s beloved children:
“This is why we kneel before our Creator. Every ethnic group in heaven or on earth is recognized by God. We ask that God strengthen us in our inner selves from the riches of divine glory through the Spirit. We ask that Christ will live in our hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, we ask that we’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. We ask that we’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that we will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.”
May each day be a blessing,
Donna
Rev. Dr. Donna Patterson serves as Anam Cara Chaplain in Residence for Scarritt Bennett Center and directs the Center’s Soul Work program.