STEP ONE: BREATHE

Take a deep, cleansing breath. Allow the air to fill your lungs and expand your body. Exhale and empty yourself into the room. Repeat three times - once for the one who Created you, once for the Incarnate One who walks beside you, and once for the Spirit whose life fills your being.

STEP TWO: DWELL IN WORD

Transforming the Yard: WONDER AND GRATITUDE

It is still mostly dark outside when I pour my morning coffee and make my way onto the back porch. Facing east, I watch the sky as the ceramic cup warms my hands. Things lighten around me. Shades of green emerge as yellow and orange blend overhead with the purple sky. The calls and squawks of a half dozen birds announce the arrival of a new day.

For me, this time on my backyard deck is a sacred communion with life. It is a tiny slice of nature and creation that renews and revives me to the core of my being. Everywhere I look, I see signs of life and growth. From where did it all come?

Sure, Katie’s efforts of planting, pruning, and primping are partly responsible. Cal’s Market, a local nursery, is another healthy supplier. Favorable growing conditions made essential contributions. But there is something more—more than the accumulation and summation of the parts.

In the sky, the purples have all faded and have been replaced with a baby blue. There is still yellow in the sky, but now it has turned pastel. The white wisp of clouds can be seen on the horizon. Light has arrived in penultimate fashion. Shadows have all receded. Single leaves and flowers are now visible and ready to be admired or fade into the background of the woods that lie just beyond the backyard fence. Critters can now be seen as they scurry searching for food. Birds soar and dart overhead. Another precious day begins

Sitting with my morning coffee on the deck, I watch with wonder as the sky is now glowing with light. Before my eyes, another day is birthed. Another day begins as the ancient cycle of planetary rotation completes another turn. Facing the warmth and light of the sun, it is time for the day. Today is here. It is perhaps the most precious of all gifts. A day to live—full of opportunity, hope, and promise—lies ahead.

Questions pop into my head as the coffee wakes me up. What do I have to do today? Where will I be going? What will I do in the coming hours? To what do I have to pay attention? A list quickly emerges as I feel my blood pressure rise. It is at this moment, when I am susceptible to shifting into gear, that I need to pause. Sometimes I catch myself. Before hopping onto that metaphorical treadmill and reentering the proverbial rat race, my soul needs some care.

Before I get any further down the path of plotting out my day’s doing, I need to stop and breathe. My spirit needs me to take a good look around and see with the vision of my heart. This day is not mine to conquer, control, and manipulate. This day is a pure gift; it comes as a limited blessing from God.

The day doesn’t belong to me, and I can’t seize it to make it mine. Sure, I will have plenty of opportunities to exercise personal agency. I will speak and move. I will interact with others. I will make thousands of decisions. I will triumph. I will fail. But to think that I have any claims of ownership on this day or any other is foolish and silly. There exists a spiritual arrogance and misdirection whenever I try to take for myself what belongs to God.

Life—all of it, including this day—comes as a gift with which we are entrusted. For just a short while, we are blessed with the opportunity to live. How will I respond to God’s gift? Will I treasure or squander the gift? How about you—what choices will you make?

The sun shines brightly through the trees. From where I am, it appears to be only a tiny burning orb. But it is so powerfully bright that I can’t look directly into the sun without it leaving a blotch on my vision. There is movement as the sun rises in the sky. Soon its warmth will make the morning chill disappear and dry up the blanket of dew.

When each day is received and acknowledged as a gift something extraordinary happens. I find within myself a movement and a rising. From entitlement to gratitude. From pride to humility. I transition to a place of spiritual receptivity where I am more open to God’s presence. When this happens (which isn’t always, I continue to be a work in progress), I am more likely to be generous with my words, thoughts, and actions.

When I approach the day as a gift, I am a better caretaker and steward of life. I fear less and trust more. I seek to be kinder and more compassionate in my dealings with others. Again, please hear me—I am a work in progress. I don’t always treasure and honor my days. But when I do, I notice that life is better and my relationships are more vibrant.

At the heart of Jesus’s teaching in parables is the clear message that God’s Kingdom is at hand. It is today. Whether we welcomed the arrival of the day as the sun rose over our deck this morning or we slept in, we are now living in God’s realm and reality. What we do with this sacred gift matters for us, our families, our community, nation, and all of creation. Every action. Every thought. So, let’s start this day with gratitude and an awareness of the giftedness of this moment, so that we might really live every day.

STEP THREE: PRAY

Gracious God,

each day of life comes as a gift from you. Help me to receive it with a grateful heart. Direct my living so that I might be a blessing to others.

Through Jesus Christ, Amen.