This Advent God’s been inviting me to live in the reality that Christ is in me, with me, and for me. I noticed, when I undertook a task or wrote a post, that I was not alone. I felt accompanied as I found the wisdom or words needed.

Recognizing God’s presence in those simple activities ignited a flicker of joy in my chest. That joy made me stop and breath in that moment of awareness: I am in Christ, and he is in me.

As I did, I recalled the image of myself as a leaky bucket in the ocean of God’s love and remembered: all I long for I already have.

The part of me which focuses on my cracks reacted to that thought. I could provide a list of things I long for but don’t have–not possessions per se but virtues. I wish I wasn’t so self-preoccupied, for example.

But the part of me that sees God’s ocean of love welcomed that thought. Knowing my imperfections are bathed in love gave me hope. I am being transformed.

In Presence and Encounter, David G. Benner says we often don’t recognize that we are in Christ and he is in us, because we lack awareness. Awareness “creates space and openness that allow us to be present to more than our usual self-preoccupations.”

“Hallelujah!” my heart cried out when I read that. God’s gift of awareness is quieting the self-serving chatter in my head and freeing me to be more present to what’s before me.

No wonder I’m being led away from a busy life. God is slowing me down to make the turn onto a new road in my pilgrimage where Christ reveals that every moment is eternal and every piece of ground holy.

Holy Ground
Words by Woody Guthrie, 1954, Music by Frank London (The Klezmatics), 2003

Take off, take off your shoes
This place you’re standing, it’s holy ground
Take off, take off your shoes
The spot you’re standing, its holy ground

These words I heard in my burning bush
This place you’re standing, it’s holy ground
I heard my fiery voice speak to me
This spot you’re standing, it’s holy ground

That spot is holy, holy ground
That place you stand it’s holy ground
This place you tread, it’s holy ground
God made this place his holy ground

Take off your shoes and pray
This ground you walk it’s holy ground
Take off your shoes and pray
The ground you walk it’s holy ground

Every spot on earth I traipse around
Every spot I walk it’s holy ground
Every spot on earth I traipse around
Every spot I walk it’s holy ground

Every spot it’s holy ground
Every little inch it’s holy ground
Every grain of dirt it’s holy ground
Every spot I walk it’s holy ground

 © Copyright Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc.

Credits and references:
Presence and Encounter: The Sacramental Possibilities of Everyday Life by David G. Benner, PhD, 2014, (p. 34).
“Stillness” by Christian.Rudman. Used with permission.
“Holy Ground” by the Klezmatics, Wonder Wheel, 2006.
Banner (not visible on home page)  L’océan à Langland by Marie. Used with permission.

© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2014.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014  http://www.estherhizsa.wordpress.com.