breaking through the commonplace (erin jean warde)
one should tread the earth with a deep lying awe and reverence
inspiration
“God is here. In the midst of life, breaking through the commonplace, glorifying the ordinary, the Great, High God is near. One should tread the earth with a deep lying awe and reverence — God is in this place. Do not wait to hear His spirit winging near in moments of great crisis, do not expect Him riding on crest of a wave of deep emotional excitement — do not look to see Him at the dramatic moment when something abnormal or spectacular is at hand. Rather find Him in the simple experiences of daily living, in the normal ebb and flow of life as you live it.”
—Howard Thurman, from 40-Day Journey with Howard Thurman
contemplation
Surprise surprise, a quote from the book I said I was reading for Lent, a statement I made before the wheels came off, as they are wont to do. I am, of course, not going to finish reading it by Easter, and I’ve barely put a dent in the other book I mean to read, or the practices I hoped to try. This is, because, life changed. I find such solace in Howard Thurman’s words, not just because I am a firm, but struggling, believer in a God who arrives in the commonplace events of my life. I also love these words because if you can acknowledge that the Spirit meets us in the commonplace, then we have begun to turn to a Spirit who knows that life changes, because there are few things more common than change.
I’m currently in my own time of change, as I discovered I needed to move quite quickly, so now I’m in a season of trying to both move and finish a book at the same time. And yet, by some odd miracle, I feel more positive about the move than I’ve ever felt about a move in my life. The book weighs on me, but I have an inner voice that I can only believe is the gentle voice of the Spirit saying, “You will get it done. You will have the time. You can do this.” I can only credit this through the fact that — especially in these times of change — the Spirit is quick to remind me I do not have to wait until crisis or an experience of the spectacular to feel close to the Spirit. I am always able to place my hand on my heart and feel the inhale and exhale that serve as a sacrament of sorts, an outward and visible side of the inward and spiritual grace of a God who loves me in the commonplace. I can only believe in a God who guides me and loves me in the boring parts of my life; I can only believe in a God who sits with me as I pack.
I’m not saying I’m not stressed — I am stressed! — but in the midst of it, I believe God is here, glorifying my ordinary.
reflection
What are the moments of great crisis you are facing? How do you think the Spirit might be close to you in them?
What are some commonplace moments in your life? How do you think the Spirit might be close to you in them?
welcome to gather the inklings
thank you for hanging out with me throughout the changes, as I’ve moved from one e-mail app to another. I’m thrilled to be D O N E with changes for a while. I’ve moved my newsletter & content over to Substack, because the DS Community now lives here too! members of the community were mostly interested in content, so I’ll be sending out weekly e-mails (including audio recording) for paid subscribers, with a comments section so you can share & ask for support. it is $7/month. the community content mixes reflection & practical support. reach out if $ is a challenge! interested? just upgrade your subscription for community content. weekly free e-mails will still be around! so you’ll keep enjoying this inspiration straight to your inbox no matter what.
programs & offerings
〰 1:1 coaching is always open! we can begin coaching anytime.
〰 we have 1 more weekly group coaching call in March. these calls are free with the opportunity to donate, which you can do via PayPal or Venmo. they are on Tusdays at 10a.m. CST. make sure you RSVP to get the Zoom link & I hope I see you soon!
〰 I will be open for more spiritual directees in May! say hi if you’re interested, so we can discern whether or not we’d be a good fit.
interests & joys
〰 I am, as you can gather, very immersed in packing woes, so my interests include: trying to sell furniture I can’t take with me, selling a washer/dryer set, getting the few things I need for the new place. the best part is that I have an incredible excuse to vintage shop for those housewares.
〰 I’m going to try doing my work from the kitchen island at the new place, so of course my cats will require new toys to distract, beds to give them a place to “be” when they want to sit on my lap during calls, and this specific scratching post because I literally cannot resist (basically they are getting a home makeover too).