Friday of the Second Week of Advent

Blessed be the Lord!
  For he has shown me the wonders of his love in a besieged city.  Psalm 31:21

I bounce down the steps from my office looking for someone to share the good news with. In a day of flying details, I have finally managed to solve a problem that has vexed me for weeks. In the scheme of things, it is a small victory that perhaps only I will appreciate. 

Only much later do I remember to thank God.

It can be easy to miss small moments of grace in the midst of busyness. Especially when the world today can seem to be a place for the besieged and beleaguered. Too many responsibilities, not enough time or energy or resources. Creativity and kindness can falter in the face of demands for constant availability, immediate response, and measurable results. No time to think, no time to rest, no time to be gracious.

In such a time, my victory may be a small one, but thanking God is never small. Practicing gratitude, praising God who loved us into being, not only draws me closer to the one who is the source of life, but also radiates that love out into the world where it combats the mayhem and lifts up the careworn and harassed.

As I recall my tiny moment of triumph, I allow my vision of it to expand until I can see the hand of God. And opening my eyes and heart further, I become aware of God’s presence interwoven into the entire expanse of my day, my life, the universe.

I pray again that I might see the wonders of God’s love.



Copyright Anne E. Kitch 2014