It may save your soul

For years I read from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals every morning to start my day. Sometime over the last year I stopped for some reason. Our pastor read from it yesterday and it was a good reminder to dig it out and start using it again. So I was reminded of this gem of a quote from Frederick Buechner today:

"Who  knows how the awareness of God's love first hits people? Every person has his own tale to tell, including the person who would not believe in God if you paid him. Some moment happens in your life that makes you say Yes right up to the roots of your hair, that makes it worth having been born just to have happen. Laughing with somebody till the tears run down your cheeks. Waking up to the first snow. Being in bed with somebody you love. Whether you thank God for such a moment or thank your lucky stars, it is a moment that is trying to open up your whole life. If you try to turn your back on such a moment and hurry along to Business as Usual, it may lose you the whole ball game. If you throw your arms around such a moment and hug it like crazy, it may save your soul. How about the person you know who as far as you can possibly tell has never had such a moment? Maybe for that person the moment that has to happen is you."

I am generally not good at being aware of moments like this. I appreciated the reminder to not only slow down, but also to look up and open up. You never know...