Have you ever stopped to think about how many unique and special moments we might've missed during our days here on earth? While it's easier to savor and celebrate the moments that are planned (like family events, graduations, weddings, receptions, parties, etc.) it's more difficult to honor the moments that might just as easily get ignored in our day-to-day experiences. Even Paul, the Christian-persecutor-turned-apostle told the Ephesian believers that every moment was to be seized for the purpose of honoring God. Paul knew that people who choose to notice the ordinary moments are those who make the wisest use of their time.
So Consider Paul's words in Eph. 5:15-16 (NRSV): "Be careful, then, how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil." Paul and his audience lived with a sense of immediacy; they knew that at any moment Jesus could be coming back and their hope was to find God in every moment and make it useful for Kingdom purposes. Their eyes, therefore, were centered on pursuing the truth of God's promises taught in the Law, in the Writings and in the Prophets, and they knew that to live accordingly would maximize their time and, wisely, they'd not waste any experience on selfish pursuits. In other words, Paul wanted his listeners to know that every moment mattered. Every moment, for Paul, was a chance to observe God's goodness and to embody that goodness in word and deed.
It's easy to miss God-moments when we're too busy thinking about other things or actively pursuing egocentric (or even beneficial) activities. Because our days are filled with work, family time, exercise, running errands, and meeting deadlines it's nearly inevitable that there will be holy, God-inspired moments that easily come and go. Why? Because we simply aren't tuned in, spiritually speaking. We're not so easily adept at noticing God-moments because we're more easily accustomed to accomplishing the next task, or distracting ourselves with our phones, or attempting to manage our physical, occupational and emotional lives. It's harder and much more difficult to exert attention and energy toward the spiritual in our days. Being aware, or mindful, is a buzzword in our culture, but note that God invented mindfulness from the beginning! Yes, God is a mindful God. Think about how God looked at each created day and called it "good." In order to acknowledge God's creation as good, God must've spent time observing, analyzing, reflecting and thinking critically about the wonders and blessings of the created order. Since we are made in God's image, it makes perfect sense that we were created to be mindful and aware of the moments in our days that cause us to be captured by God. When we are looking for the ordinary moment to become extraordinary, we learn a little bit more about what it means when Jesus says in Luke 17:21: "The Kingdom of God is within you."
The mission carved out for us as Christ's body is to always be alert, making the most of our opportunities because the days are short. We must not only observe God-moments but respond to them with gratitude--after all, each moment is a gift to be appreciated and respected. When we're mindful of the moment, it's easy to understand that our time is precious simply because God's given it to us as a means to honor Jesus through the Holy Spirit. It makes sense, then, that the late Frederick Buechner once said, "Life itself is grace." And let's be honest, gifts deserve our attention, don't they? Just as my mother wanted my brother and me to write thank-you notes when we were kids, we, too, must embrace the God-given-moment and return thanks. We must seize our moments with gratitude. That, my friends, is acting wisely with our time.
Allow me to share an example of capturing moments that matter. This most recent Mother's Day was a special one for our family. I'd made reservations at a new restaurant where we could dine after worshiping at UBC and then enjoy an afternoon of boutique bowling. Wearing her new Mother's Day necklace that Finleigh and I got her, Mandi looked elegant and beautiful. After we finished lunch we began our hour of boutique bowling. It was such a joy to watch my daughter laugh after a good bowl and see her spin her hair around as she often turned to smile at Mandi and me. I noticed how Finleigh was completely at ease, so free and happy, simply at peace to be playing a fun game with her amazing mom and grateful dad. Then, something unusual happened during the course of our bowling hour. While Finleigh was bowling I noticed that Mandi stopped to pause and look out the 2nd floor window of the complex. As she supported herself with her elbows on the window-side table, I saw something holy about her posture, something altogether lovely; in her contemplative state, my mind's eye beheld something austere and humble about her stance at that window. So, instinct took over and I decided, in that moment, to snap a couple pictures of my wife. I couldn't really put my finger on why I needed to take a couple pictures of Mandi at that moment, but it seemed like it was the right thing to do. Now, I'm grateful that I did. Sometimes God-moments can't be explained with words (or don't need to be explained at all)--sometimes God-moments just need to be, sometimes God-moments just are. God showed up in the person of my wife, and it was a moment that mattered to me.
And that moment still does. What is so wonderful to me is that God is using my moment with Mandi as a way to demonstrate God's holiness with all of you!
So take a lesson from Paul and seize the time you've been given because Satan is desperately wanting to steal each second away from you each day. Make the most of every opportunity you get and be mindful about where God shows up in your ordinary moments. You might just find that your routine, mundane plans might get blissfully interrupted by a picture of God in your midst: a gentle breeze, a clever smile, a creative artist, a baby's coo, a crack in the driveway or even a package delivered late. In all things, life is grace, and God is waiting to meet us in our moments. In this way, all moments matter.
So, dear friends, let's observe our matters in ways that cause them to become holy moments...moments we remember, moments we cherish, moments that show us a little something about Jesus and his love. And you don't need to take a picture with your phone to capture the instant that moment happens, either. Just be mindful of it, thank God, and keep searching for the Savior. You know what Jesus said about searching, right? "Seek and you WILL find..." (Matt. 7:7b, emphasis mine). So take hold of this month of June and practice looking for God in the small, ordinary experiences of your days.
I have a feeling you'll capture multiple moments that truly matter.
To Christ be the glory as we seek and find him in the holy moments,
Pastor Will
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