“It’s going to be ok.” Sometimes that’s a hard thing to say, especially this year, but faith is a journey. Life brings trials and grief, but we must keep going. Due to the pandemic, we don’t have the bigger things to look forward to such as big celebrations and gatherings, so we are forced to slow down and focus on the smaller things. By finding sacred moments in the day to day, life becomes less monotonous. It’s possible to find God in places you have never seen before because He’s our Creator and Father, and His fingerprint is on everything if we only look. 

One pandemic difference in my life is that I’ve been working from home. Instead of my 20-30 minute commute, I try to go out for a 30 minute walk before beginning my work day. In contrast to all the screen time indoors during a work day, the walk allows time outside with more space and time to meditate and connect with God.  With walking and other exercise, there’s a lot of thought about breathing. It’s one of the first things that connects us with God who gave us the breath of life. During exercise we’re accessing that breath and by focusing on it, we can purposely connect with our Creator. By focusing on our breathing, it changes from a passive to engaging action. 

The same thing could be said about our faith. Faith puts our passive beliefs into action. These past 6+ months during the pandemic changes, we have been given the opportunity to approach our faith in a different way. We’ve been challenged with finding the sacred in our everyday lives. When thinking about a sacred space the first thing that comes to mind is Moses at the burning bush. He was moved by the presence of God to take off his shoes on holy ground. For us, it’s finding and responding to the moments in our lives where God is undeniably working. It doesn’t have to be something momentous.  It can be the simple act of holding a hot cup of tea or coffee and thanking God for that warm feeling. 

In my first apartment in New Jersey, I dedicated a space on one wall to be my “God’s good things wall.” Hanging cards, words, pictures, crafts, etc. gave me a visual representation of how God has filled my life. Now that I am married, there isn’t a specific wall, but my whole home is infiltrated with reminders of God’s good things in my life. The photos, gifts, and cards are reminders of the love and support from the people God has put in my life. Things in our homes help connect us to memories and are little bright spots of who I am, where I’ve been and where I’m going. 

Another time in the day to day where we can find the sacred is in sharing a meal. Before dinner we try to have an extra meaningful prayer and thank God for all the extra things we used to take for granted like time together with outside friends and family. Seeing anyone outside of your immediate household now feels like a celebration. In taking advantage of the limited time together, conversations cut right over the small talk to honest, authentic discussion. This connection is so nourishing and healing. This is the type of relationship we need to have with Jesus as well. With Jesus we can be fresh, honest, and open.

And yet, especially during the chaos of this year, our anxieties may feel out of control and we may not have the words. Sometimes all we have, by God’s grace, is our heart beating in our chest and our breath in our lungs. But even in those weak times, Romans 8:26 tells us that the spirit intercedes for our groanings too deep for words. It’s not always about what we say to God, but how we praise Him in what we do each day. We previously were used to seeing God in the big moments, but can thank the pandemic for bringing out the sacredness of daily living. No earthquake or fire. Just a still, small voice. In times of doubt when we feel stuck, continue to focus on these sacred moments day to day and remember, with God, “It’s going to be ok.”

To listen to the full conversation with Maggie and Helen, please check out A Little Faith podcasts.