Beyond Ordinary: Deep Roots

When we  practice the presence of the Holy One, we experience sacred, holy, extraordinary moments daily, sometimes multiple times a day.  When we are living in right relationship, focused with God, there are no ordinary days.  Instead of counting the ordinals of time, the weeks from Sunday to Sunday, I am intentionally counting the sacred, holy moments.Today I am embracing the idea that what I have embraced as coincidence in the past is really connection.  It is the Holy One trying to get my attention to connect the dots and become aware of the present reality.The daffodils in  my yard are blooming.  It is January.  Last year when this happened, I said, "No.  It is too early, you will freeze."  In my ordinary time mind, January is too early for daffodils.For the past week, I have been at home on turtle speed, not my comfort zone, healing from herniated disc surgery.  I am not allowed to sit for long periods of time, so I have been standing and walking, a lot, inside and outside, outside and inside.This year, the daffodil says to me, "Stop and enjoy the beauty.  I am not an ordinary daffodil.  I am here to get your attention and remind you of the joy and beauty of God's creation.  Look beyond what you see.  My roots are deep and can withstand the freeze.  If my blooms are short lived this year, they will return again to bring you joy and to remind you of the beauty of God's creation.  What ordinary moment are you experiencing that has deeper roots for you? "Hmmm, what ordinary moment am I experiencing that has deeper roots for me?After some time in stillness this morning (walking, of course), what is emerging in me is this invitation to deep roots.  My present moment has been rearranged (a theme for my for over a year now) to be present to deep roots.  The invitation is to look beneath the surface, to dig in the dirt, to discover the truth in deep roots.I am grateful for the life-giving discoveries I made.  And, I invite you to spend some time, beneath the surface, discovering your deep roots.With a grateful heart,LilBeyond Ordinary moments, Rev. Dr. Lil Smith will be offering a series on Temptations during Lent 2020.  Follow this site or signup for emails to receive this Lenten offering.Rev. Dr. Lil Smith is a trained spiritual director, supervisor, and co-founder of Retreat House Spirituality Center in Richardson, TX.  Her passion is tending the spiritual life.  Lil quickly realized this vital, spiritual journey requires listening to the Holy within and sharing what she learns about herself, her story.  As she has learned to be gentle with herself, may you hold her story gently and receive what you desire to hear.Praying the Lectionary - sharing her spiritual practice: Upon completion of her spiritual direction training, Lil began Praying the Lectionary in 2011 as a spiritual practice for her morning prayer time.  Instead of reading about someone else’s experience of God, it was important for her to create a prayer practice that would encourage felt sense experience of the Holy emerging from within.  It dawned on her others might enjoy the practice, as well.  So she began to share them on Praying the Lectionary: Drinking God's Word Together.