Sensing the Sacred in Small Moments

Keep your lives simple and honest. ZECHARIAH 8:17 THE MESSAGE 

Do any of us really mind the sticky, messy, melty part of making s’mores? It’s part of the campfire experience, isn’t it? As is dropping a marshmallow or two in the fire, noticing how each person likes to toast their marshmallow, and getting yours just the way you want it no matter how many attempts it takes. The simple joy in simple things is a comforting reminder that God is in the small moments as well as the big ones in our lives, maybe even more palpably. 

Big moments and big events garner a great deal of attention on their own, but the small, quiet moments give us a chance to truly rest in the presence of God. And it feels good. The kind of good that reassures us we’re held closely in a world spinning wildly away from the comforts of a simple life. Everything is moving faster, distracting us further and pulling us farther from the God who loves us so sweetly, gently, and completely. No accomplishments needed. No criteria to meet. No amount of followers necessary to pique His interest or get His attention. We have His undivided attention every moment of every day. And that is simply all we need to be happy, fulfilled, and certain of our infinite value. 

Sure, there will be sticky parts in life we’d rather avoid. Messy things we’d like to bypass. But each one is a part of the earthly experience God scripted for our unique stories. No two are exactly the same, and not one is more important than another. Maybe today we can be brave in God’s embrace—even if the marshmallow falls in the fire . . . even if our hands get messy doing things we have to do but that are hard to do . . . even if our hearts feel like melting under the pressures of discouragement or disappointment. Maybe today we can sense God in a big way through the small, quiet moments. 

Dear God, Where I am, You are. Open my heart and my eyes to see Your purpose in the messy, the mundane, and the miracles in every moment. 

This is an excerpt from The Campfire is Calling: 90 Warming Devotions for the Simple Life – a devotional now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.