Written by Keith Riley, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his work “The Sacred Ordinary of Each Day.”
There are spiritual practices that can help us stop and pay attention, receive the gifts, and find God. Handed down by Christ himself and Christians across the ages are simple ways to turn our attention to “every good and perfect gift … coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”Here’s one to explore: At the end of a day, run back over the day in chunks: morning, midday, afternoon, and evening. Think about what you enjoyed eating and drinking. Recall the friends you spent time with, the highs of your day, and even the difficult moments. Then, hold your day in prayer before God. Where did you experience God’s love in your day? Was it in the smile of a loved one, the sun on your face, or the delightful taste of that ice cream? Look back on your day with curiosity and grace. There is no need for shame or regret. Instead, pray, “God, help me to see your gifts to me in this day.” I was able to practice this recently on a gloriously long summer day. Here were some of the good gifts of God’s love to me: the smell of redwood trees in the sun, the taste of my morning coffee, a text message from a good friend, watching my daughter play at the beach, seeing her smile and laugh, the cool ocean breeze, the sunset, and the taste of tacos at the beach. In each of these good things, I was able to look back and imagine God smiling at me with delight as I enjoyed the goodness of the day… God’s love is waiting for you in the midst of your sacred, ordinary day.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. [1 John 4:16]
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