Ordinary

There is green today; bright green. The world is beginning to come back from the dead of winter. The wind has become a gentle breeze instead of a biting, vicious form of the devil. The sun floats down ever so softly to land on the skin of these people, happy to finally be able to go out without triple layers. The birds are out singing praises to our God, and the mountains stand in the distance, tall, proud, and majestic; reminding us of the ONE to whom all thanks, glory, and honor belongs.

Spring was never my favorite season. I considered it nasty because the rain caused all the mud, and the mud got everywhere.

The other day I took a walk with my best friend (whom you will meet more personally in a later post). He and I were walking around downtown, enjoying the weather before heading back into the dungeon of campus to continue our work.

There was nothing innately "special" about that day. The weather was nice, classes had happened as usual; it was an ordinary day. We were ready for a break from the mundane, and we decided to explore a new part of downtown.

Yes, we found a waterfall.

Yes, we found a dog that we thought was lost (who turned out to live right where we were, so we kinda looked like idiots as we called the owner and he responded "let me see where y'all are at" and looked down at us from his balcony).

Yes, we walked in a new place and saw new people.

Yes, the hour was nice.

On our way back to the car, he asked me if "this {was} a moment of significance".

As soon as the words left his mouth, my mind took me back to the dog, to the waterfall, to the walk, to the good things from the day. I took a moment to think and responded with

"Yes. This is a moment of significance."

It was fun to find the waterfall, the dog, make complete fools of ourselves. I will likely remember those things for weeks and months to come. The problem was that I was about to go right back to "normal" life and forget that all the things in-between were just as important. Step-by-step, if we had not made them, we would not have found the waterfall. Those "mundane" moments we walked, one foot in front of the other were just as integral to this "adventure" as the adventures themselves were. The moments we stood, just looking out in silence over the river. That one little thing he happened to mention as we stood there, soaking in God's creation.

That man, closing up his hardware store after watering his plants, just like he does every other day. My professor, imparting life-learned knowledge to me that morning, as she does three times a week. The worship we sang at 10 with fifteen THOUSAND others, all praising the Creator of the Universe who loves us. Those hours of work just before leaving on our little adventure.

I had forgotten. He was right. It was a moment of significance. But so was the rest of the day. The difference was that I had forgotten to notice it.

We will never fully understand the breadth and importance of a single moment in our lives.

You just took a breath. You have life in your lungs. Did you put it there? Yes, it may have been by your biological processes that you were able to suck the air from outside your body down your throat and into your lungs, but the life. Did you put it there?

"Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;'"

-Jeremiah 1:4-5b

"And God spoke all these, saying '...Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am HE, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made and I will bear; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

-Isaiah 46:3-4

"It's Your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise to You only, Lord."

-All Sons & Daughters

It is a moment of significance because I breathe. It is a moment of significance because I am given LIFE.

It is a moment of significance because it is a gift from almighty GOD.

It is a moment of significance because at any moment, the GOD of the universe is right there by my side, ready and prepared to rescue me, sustain me, guide me, and love me.

He was right; it was a moment of significance.

I was wrong; they were ALL moments of significance because I breathed, and because He was with me.

He knows you; He formed you, knew you, consecrated you. He will carry you; bear with you; sustain you; He will rescue you. He loves you in every moment of every day, even when you don't love yourself.

YOU are significant because the GOD of the universe loves you, knows you, and cares for you.