I love me some Easter. The celebration of it all. A good Alleluia chorus. Lilies. Flowering crosses. How much women drive the story. The feeling of hope abounding. The sense of newness and aliveness all around. The reminder of the greatest miracle of all time. The centrality of a man named Jesus, without all the stuff that the institution of the church has gotten wrong. The new start. The fresh day. The recommitment to a faith that comforts me just at the moment where I pause to wonder what it all means. It’s been a beautiful Easter celebration for me, as it often is. 

And even with all the power of the risen Christ, as much as I want to believe myself that this time my quiet time with God will be more consistent in the morning, or that this year the fruits of the Spirit will shine in me like never before, or that this season I will question less and trust more, I know better.  I know the “feeling” of Easter will fade. The celebration of the greatest love, God’s love, will become softer. My hope will flicker like the birthday candles trying to hold on for dear life in the outside breeze so that our little one can have the moment to blow them out…..gosh they try so hard to make it through the Happy Birthday and yet sometimes, life takes over. The wind gets to them first. The hope goes out. The light goes dark. Ahhh…..but just for a minute because we always relight them- our little one will definitely get the chance to blow them out on their special day. And that’s like my own hope and trust- it is there, sometimes burning brightly, sometimes flickering and sometimes, albeit briefly, gone for a minute when life gets too overwhelming.  

What I wanted to share today in case it may be helpful for you is that when Resurrection Sunday is over, we can still be intentional about seeing the Divine. For me, this usually comes in some sort of intentional pausing, slowing down, a practice of gratitude, noticing the small things, being mindful of the tiniest moments and breathing in the goodness of our Father. Sometimes it’s “people moments.” (laughing with your child, a coffee date with a friend, a sweet phone call, etc.) Lately, it’s been nature moments. Seeing God in creation each day is a fail-proof way to remind me of his goodness and presence.  

Soaking in the sun rays on my face. Sitting with the countless species of animals in the world and smiling when I see one that is out of my norm. Delighting in the flowers of Springtime. The vastness coupled with the tiniest of details reminds me of our Creator. If I get still enough, I can sense their (trinity) love. It’s breathtaking, even if for a moment before the whizzing cars or clanging pots or screaming children come back into focus. Try to find one moment of pause and gratitude for something beautiful God has created today.  I hope it will give you a brief moment of peace.

Be Still and Know that I Am God. (Psalm 46:10) 

And tell me, do you have daily rituals that help you slow down, practice gratitude, soak in the beauty of the “everyday” that we so often overlook?