There is a rift one minute thirty seconds into a Vietnamese jazz composition, Gian Hon, which, when I hear it, always causes a pause within me. Everything slows to a stop. It is as if the artist created a moment fully and completely aligned with my heart, passions, and beliefs. My mind rests. My heart rate and blood pressure noticeably drop. Everything within physically relaxes. In that sweet spot, I always find Divinity resting, metaphorically waiting for me to spend time in just being present with Her. As the rift ends, I rediscover the moment at hand with a refreshed heart.
The lesson within the song which I first heard over a decade ago continues to call me into an awareness of what is around me. Examples are varied. Each is, in context, an mundane events and yet each carries a hyper-personalized insight tailored for me in the moment.
My illustrations, with an intent to setting the stage for your discovery, are the following.
As I took an espresso to kick off my day, the reflections of the steam coming off the crema combined with the shadows and reflections I could see beyond the cup led to a rediscovery of how my unconscious bias was influencing my approach to the challenges ahead.
As I recently worked on seasoning a curry, the smells of the seasonings reacting to the hot pan carried me to my early experiences in the kitchen with my grandmother and later with my mother. Each was unique in their own way. Each invited me to remain open to discovering new tastes, ways of cooking, and the experiences which followed. This evening’s smell took me to the first time I dry roasted chilies and other herbs in a dry frying pan with the tears, excitement, and anticipation which always follows.
My lessons echo the psalm, “If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there!” (Psalm 139.8). Today is my opportunity for more. In letting myself be free in the moment, I rediscovered what it means to be with God.
