Ordinary

I find that God speaks the loudest in and through the ordinary “things” that occur in your life and mine.  God is actively moves in and through the events of our lives – even in extreme (terrible, horrifying) circumstances.  If my reactions are any indication, we are so caught up in the chaos of living that we often ignore God's voice and movement.  In my blindness, deafness, and naivety, it would be foolish to simply assume that God is absent.  Candidly, God is always present.  One of our highest callings is to be open, ready, and willing to see, hear, and feel God at work.
I find myself writing in the peace of a quiet, crisp, fall morning in Southern California.  It is a perfect time for reflection, with multiple imagines, senses, and experiences converging on the moment at hand.  I can feel the warm of God hand pouring in through my apartment window in Singapore and amplified by the friends that shared the journey with me.  I can see God's creative work in the imagines shared with others at sunset, sunrise, and the shadows in between.  I still find myself surprised at how God uses the ordinary to draw us into living with Divinity.
I am not the first caught off-guard.  On one occasion, “it was about noon.  Peter got hungry and started thinking about lunch.  While lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance.”  (Acts 10.10, 11)  God used the moment to bring Peter into a life changing moment. 
I have no idea what is going to unfold today.  I do know that God will be engaged – whispering to you and me, tugging our arms, lending a hand.  God will also extend invitations to be part of something much bigger.  It will likely involve compassion, mercy, and community.  It may not seem like a big deal, but for our souls and others, I would encourage you to say “yes”. 
In today's ordinary moments, we will have unique opportunities to be God's hands, voice, and ears.  Seize every one.  They are truly priceless.