Seek the Sacred Amidst the Ordinary

There have been times in my life when simply getting out of bed each morning has been a leap of faith. I wondered how I would ever have the energy to get through a particular challenge, or difficult situation in life. Then God would place a particular person in my life, to help me see the way ahead. I would often recall the huge leap of faith called youth, and persevere. My friend Ajua just graduated from high school and will be attending Yale in the fall. Ajua is an amazing dancer, able to seemingly defy gravity with her leaps. In this photo, she looks like someone out of a Jackie Chan movie. Rather than just jump on the trampoline, she leaps. That summer between high school and college was a lot like this photo. It seemed we were caught in stop action, in midair. The big push to graduate was past us, and we knew the next step. Yet like Ajua and Alexa, we seemed suspended, in wait, for the next big challenge. There is such pressure in modern life to rush around, to push and attack your goals. We forget to savor the summers of our youth, to be present in our current situation. When a river flows without ebbing, it is called a flood. The life giving power of water becomes a destructive force, laying waste to everything in its path. Without pausing in midair, without rest, we become like that flood. We become impatient to have it all now, rather than accepting that all will be provided for us in the fullest of God’s time. Pause to enjoy the early summer evenings, while the breezes are still cool. Recall those huge leaps of faith in your youth, and allow that faith to inform your current situation. And trust that times of watching and waiting are times when God molds us for the challenges ahead. Photo by Daniel Aste