Everyday Grace (by Ruth Frankenfield)
I recently read a quote from Wayne Muller, author of How Then Shall We Live, that reminded me of how vitally important it is to be awake and aware enough, to see, feel and appreciate the million tiny moments of grace that infuse day.
“Most sacraments are acts of breathtaking simplicity; a simple prayer, a sip of wine and a piece of bread, a single breath inmeditation, a sprinkling of water on the forehead, an exchange of rings, a kind word, a blessing. Any of these, performed in a moment of mindfulness, open the doors of our spiritual perception and bring nourishment and delight.” – Wayne Muller
The word “sacrament” has it’s origins in the Latin word sacramentum, a thing of mysterious and sacred significance. When we are fully awake and noticing, we realize what miracle it is that we are here, walking this beautiful planet in these incredible complex sensing, thinking and imagining bodies. What a miracle it is that we have a warm bed and safe home from which we enter the world each day to join with others in a heartfelt promise to bring comfort and healing to those who are suffering, frightened and so in need of our hope and compassion. An act as simple as putting a pair of footies on a patient, if done with awareness that we are connecting through our common humanity, nourishes and heals both the one caring and the one being cared for.
