I looked up, noted the time, and promptly lost track of the time of day with the conversation that followed. There were other signals that I could have noticed. The setting sun, the change in the room, and even the conversations around me. Everything signalled that a new phase was emerging. In hindsight, the invitations were all around me. Candidly, I missed them.
Divinity creates invitations and reminders. They are open, visible, and unconditionally available to all. What happens next is up to the individual. Experience reminds me that I frequently ignore them. There is a routine to it all that leads me to be complacent. I innocently express an echo of the old observation; “The sun comes up, and the sun goes down, then does it again, and again – the same old round.” (Ecclesiastes 1:5) As another day dawns, I hear Life’s call to cadence. With the dawn are new beginnings. The setting of the sun offers a reminder of sacrifices and redemption. With the darkness of the night, one is invited to privately wrestle with one’s soul and Divinity, responding to the invitation of a Divine embrace.
Time offers choice. The potential responses at any moment are endless. As easy as it is to fall into not thinking, each moment is an invitation to be intentional. As the clock and setting sun offered me an opportunity to reconnect with my heart, I found myself in the moment. Time had slowed, seemingly to a stop. The unexpected experience was one of harmony. Stress had quietly left the room. Fear has taken a backseat to hope. I felt freedom opening a door. What followed could be my words expressing my values and priorities.
Divine invitations are wonderfully creative. I smile as I think of the flexibility of Divinity’s propositions. Hope can be expressed in many ways. Care is a personally wrapped gift for another, ideally with her/his name on it in a way they recognise. Kindness knows no colour or shape – the rainbow is just the beginning!
Now is our time for compassion and care.
