The gift of a moment

 "Be still and know that I am God"   Psalms 46:10
                                            
Stillness.  Moments of stillness that happen upon us unexpectedly have a way of sharpening our life's focus.  Moments that take away all other thoughts, leaving you with a sense of wonder.  For the briefest beat of one's heart these moments bring an ethereal  connection deep in one's soul to something far beyond yourself.  

These stilling moments come in many forms.  I've been blessed lately to have several such stilling moments:
  ~a child whom I didn't know, taking my hand and singing her blessing over me
 ~seeing an ever busy hummingbird alight upon a branch
 ~thinking of the song 'Hallelujah'' and then hearing my grandchild sing it in another room

These are small things, as stilling moments often are, yet they captured me, focusing me on one thing and one thing only.  Each of these moments humbled me, quieted me, and for the briefest of time I had no thoughts, no awareness of anything, except of the presence of and profound love of God.  
 
I believe our Father in heaven delights in giving us these moments, these gifts, these glimpses into the awe that is Him.

I also believe in this ever busy insanity of the world in which we live, when our minds are bombarded every second with myriads of sounds, sights, media messages, to-do lists, responsibilities, and the accompanying processing of thoughts and feelings, we can get offtrack and weary-oh so weary. 

That is why God gifts us with those special moments-a heartbeat's glance into the presence of the Almighty.  It is Him saying, just be still.  I've got this.  I am the great I AM.  I am the Creator. I am in charge.  Rest in me and trust me.  Just know that I AM.

I've started praying for these moments.  To appreciate and recognize these small moments that are all around me - the unseen realm of the spiritual places.   God can orchestrate all of His creation, and I just ask to have eyes to see.  

Which is what I asked during the two rainy days my husband and I spent in the Belizean jungle. I half prayed-half hoped to see a Toucan in the wild.  Toucans are notoriously shy, canopy dwellers, who stay in shelter when it rains.  I was expecting a lot. I kept my camera ready at all times, except the day we were to leave.  It was packed.  It was 6 o'clock in the morning, dawn and the rain were breaking as we walked quietly to the open breakfast area waiting for our ride.  As we sat there- off in the distance -my eye caught sight of movement and color.  I moved slowly closer and then stood perfectly still.  For what I saw was not one, but three toucans feeding on some watermelon and cantalope put out on a feeder for them.  Three!  (I have a thing about the number three)  

A tear rolled down my eye.  Because suddenly it wasn't about the birds, it was about God,
who gave me this gift- this amazing moment, in which all I could sense was the presence of the great I AM. 

When He admonishes us in the Psalms to be still, He isn't simply asking us to slow down our fast paced lives and minds. He is asking us to STOP and be aware, to be fully conscious of His presence in our lives. He wants to be KNOWN.  Fully and completely, no masks, no pretending, no scripture memory type of 'I know God' boasting.   We are simply to bask in the presence of Jehovah God, the great I AM - knowing that nothing else really matters in this short life we are in now, expect to know Him and walk with Him.  

Praise God for the moments- those wonderful moments He gifts to us; those moments we are allowed just a tiny glimpse beyond the veil into the spiritual places.  All our senses stilled yet heightened as we KNOW Him- His very real presence encompassing us, filling us with wonder and a profound sense of love.  Can you even imagine what heaven will be like?  

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                                                              Photo credit to Belize tourism