Seek the Sacred Amidst the Ordinary

Rain has been pouring down for twelve days start. While I’m less than thrilled, the plants absolutely love it. So I was drawn to this photo of a Japanese princess flower, taken by my friend Carole. I love the vibrant color, and the drops of moisture caught in the petals. This striking flower grows on a vine-like evergreen. Even when the flowers are not in bloom, you are treated to beautiful foliage. Carole took a lot of time and care to take this photo. She had to let go of everything else but that moment, and immerse herself in her quest. The flower drew her in, and the rest of the world and time as we know it melted away. Some scholars call eternity the simultaneous now, meaning that God is not governed by the arrow of time. It’s as if the Author of Creation lives in a vast mansion, with each room representing a moment in human history. So eternity intersects with our human condition in the here and now. Perhaps the cross is a symbol of this intersection, with the horizontal portion representing the human condition of linear time, and the vertical portion representing the eternal, simultaneous now. When we let go of the past and stop fretting about the future, we empty our souls before the Holy of Holies. We leave behind the arrow of time and briefly enter into eternity. We have all experienced such breathtaking moments, when we are overwhelmed by emotion or awed by incomprehensible beauty. Take time today to let random beauty or kindness draw you in. Linger in that moment and the eternal now, emptying yourself to everything but that experience. Pause to cultivate a breathtaking moment, and transform your daily routine into an eternal, vibrant blessing. Photo by Carole Buckwalter © 2011