Faith First: Look around, reflect, and lose yourself in something spectacular

When was the last time you got lost in something spectacularly beautiful? I mean really lost. I was in my backyard, looking at the leaves and stems from flowers long gone, when, suddenly, there she was. One solitary lily, lovingly resplendent in all of her glory. I stood, fascinated at her glamourous appearance and her unabashed and dramatic entrance into the world, unencumbered by nature's supposed schedule. Late bloomer? Not at all! The Drama Queen, taking a solo bow.

Awe presents itself and offers us an invitation into the experience where we pause, notice and reflect. These moments are magical and the spiritual stories from multiple traditions regale us with their wonder.

Our shoulders relax, our gaze softens, our breathing stretches out into the ethers. In that one moment, beauty touches us and we are delighted. Losing ourselves in moments like this is not being wasteful of our time; rather, this is that soul-full moment when we reclaim what has been taken from us by life – or, reluctantly given away. It is an energy exchange within the joy of the not-so-ordinary.

These moments remain with us, they imprint themselves upon us and they haunt us like a melody liltingly whisking us back to a time of unfettered existence. They help us reclaim what was lost through grief, busyness and exhaustion. Sacred moments like these anchor us to the reality of our soul and disrupt the intrusion of distraction.

The importance of these reflective gifts cannot be stressed enough as the chaos of our days continues. These moments offer insight into the everyday miracles, often overlooked, in their simplicity and ordinariness. But the sacred is never ordinary, no matter how simply it makes its Presence known.

So, as summer wanes and her colorful show is almost over, sit, pause, breathe and pay attention. The sacred will enter, center-stage, gloriously offering a not-so-ordinary performance and, like the lone, yellow blossom, she will gently bow to you.

And you! You could offer your most generous, heart-felt applause to this final curtain call. Center stage. Elegant in beauty and understated, your soul is filled with a resounding and holy “Bravo.”

The Reverend Dr. Deborah Darlington is an Interfaith Minister and Chaplain serving people of all spiritual traditions. She welcomes your thoughts at GraceMatters@TheSpaceForGrace.com for sacred celebrations and spiritual coaching.