“I was with my friends at one of our favourite restaurants the other night. We had been there at least three hours when I noticed we were the last ones in the place. The employees were starting to stack chairs and vacuum the floors, and we were still talking. I was looking around the table at my wife, whom I just adore; our friend Shauna, who may be one of the best storytellers on the planet; Tom, whom I would take a bullet for; and Tom’s wife, Cecilia, who is one of the most loving, authentic people I have ever met. And I’m sitting in this restaurant looking around the table, soaking it in, totally overwhelmed with the holiness of it all. The sacred-ness of the moment… You know what I’m talking about. Ordinary moments in ordinary settings that all of a sudden become infused with something else. With meaning. Significance. Hope.”
I love this passage. It’s from Rob Bell’s book, Velvet Elvis (if you havent read it by now, go out and get it RIGHT NOW!) I have had so many moments sitting around a BBQ, or a pizza, or whatever else, when God has been so real to me it was like I could reach out and physically touch him. (Why do you think food is such an integral part of Alpha groups and Christianity Explored groups?)
I don’t do this enough. Creating opportunities for the everyday, ordinary moments to become holy. There is something so wonderful about sitting around a table with a group of your closest friends, eating, drinking, sharing, laughing…
It’s like Kyle Lake put it…
“Live. And Live Well.
BREATHE. Breathe in and Breathe deeply. Be PRESENT. Do not be past. Do not be future. Be now…… At the table with friends and family, LAUGH. If you’re eating and laughing at the same time, then might as well laugh until you puke. And if you eat, then SMELL. The aromas are not impediments to your day. Steak on the grill, coffee beans freshly ground, cookies in the oven.
And TASTE. Taste every ounce of flavor. Taste every ounce of friendship. Taste every ounce of Life.
Because-it-is-most-definitely-a-Gift.“
I agree with you! We are often too busy to take the time to enjoy the simple moments in our lives. If we are constantly looking for God in the extraordinary, we are going to be disappointed because as your post mentions so wonderfully He is so often in the ordinary! Sometimes we as Christians try to spiritualize things way TOO MUCH!
If you are wondering how I found your site, I found the link on Scott Hodge’s website. My husband, Ed, and I have known Scott and Amanda since their days at Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, MN. I have been reading your posts since Scott posted a link to your site. Keep the wonderful insights coming!
hey..
good to find another glasgow blogger..!
look forward to following yours in the future.. if your amazon wishlist and current reading is anything to go by, I think theres plenty of worthwhile blogable material!
look forward to a bit of interblog discussion!
Emma,
A very good post! Well done. Kyle was a friend and it was good to hear his words again.
Stephanie – glad you enjoy reading the blog! The whole Orchard community is an amazing place, I would love to go back for a longer period of time, maybe sometime in the future! Scot has had a big impact on me! Look forward to following you too!
Neal – Reading truly is one of my great passions! Always seem to have more that I want to read than I actually have time to read, much to my dismay. But I am getting there slowly but surely. Your reading list is looking pretty interesting too… looking forward to a bit of banter!
Jim – What a privillage to know Kyle… his words continue to impact me.