The Opening, February 8 Daily Reflection

The Opening

Daunting is the invitation of the doors slightly ajar, calling to us “there is an opening, walk through, seek it out and find a revelation.” Mysterious and larger than life, the slight opening is intriguing yet intimidating. Life constantly reveals slight openings to us. Many openings are very obvious like the possibility of a new friendship or a new organization that has peaked our interest. Some openings we see and immediately know that we want nothing to do with that way of life and we scurry away knowing what is inside is not for the good of all. However, there are other less noticeable openings, doors just barely opened that we miss all together. Unless we are watching for these opportunities we will not even know we missed them.

As busy people in the year 2010 we wake in the morning and fly through the day falling unconscious in our beds at all hours of the night from too many things to do, we often are not aware of any openings. Running the race, as it were, has many disadvantages in life, there is less time for relationships, prayer, reflection and growth. If all we are doing is tasks that need to be marked off of a habitual, “necessary” and never ending list, with our eyes only on the goal of getting them done at the end of the day, then we have missed life around us.  The tasks don’t suffer but people do from our hectic lives.

Our children’s being quiet in the evening is usually considered a great relief on our part, it’s easier to get things done!  But that door is slightly opened waiting for a parent to ask “Are you ok?  You are very quiet today. Let’s hang out for a bit.” Chores are completed but an opportunity to become closer and more aware of the many needs of our children is being lost. 

Our spouse falling asleep as we get the kids to bed and things prepared for the next day, before we had a chance to talk at all makes more time to check tasks off of the list, yet less time to be a couple together . In the evening there is a time when things can wait, laundry can sit, so we can open the door and talk to each other.

Occurrences of kindness and love, friendship and caring that happen all about us at work, at home, at school, even in the grocery store are passed up in the race of our lives, more chances to love, appreciate and grow are  gone due to the race we run. Slow down, take a deep breath and look around you. Look for the doors of opportunity for love, friendship, relationships and growth. Lists should be completed but we need to slow down and take in our lives and our surroundings as we do them. We need to listen to our spouse instead of thinking what we need to tell him while he is talking. We need to watch our children interact with others and be a part of their lives. We need to be aware of the times when God’s presence is revealed in others and within. We all need to slow down and become conscious of the openings for if we are not we will never know what we have missed until the doors are shut forever on that relationship, that love and that growth and then we will be undeniably aware of its absence.