Finding the sacred in the ordinary
It’s that time of year when so many of us make New Year’s resolutions and wonder what we are going to do or not do this year that will make our lives better and the lives of the people around us. I don’t know about you, but I really end up just thinking about resolutions when I hear the word bandied about this month and I seldom make an actual list because in the rush of the passage of time, I just don’t get around to it. I do, however, find myself aware that things in my life could be different as the events of life on planet Earth play out over the days, weeks, and months.
For some reason, I was surprised to learn that someone of the stature of Abraham Maslow, the great psychologist, thought that true mystics teach us that the sacred is found in the ordinary people and places of our daily lives, even our back yard. Or perhaps I should say, “even in my family!” Who would have thought that my neighbors, my family members, my friends, and my back yard could be considered sacred? Now that’s something I need to think about!
As the sacred and ordinary began simmering in my mind, I came across the list of “resolutions” from the Brussats, a wonderful couple who have been collecting stories and writing about the spiritual life for many years. They suggest some very practical and ordinary things to do or not as the case may be:
Honor ordinary moments—take and make time to even recognize the ordinary moments in your life, like praising God for waking up and being given another day to live, love, and laugh.
Reframe repetition—when Grandma tells you the same story again and again, be grateful that she can still speak and remember that story.
Watch for Samaritans—observe the people around you at the grocery store or gas station and notice someone giving his or her place in line to an elderly man or woman.
Care for tools— how many times have you needed to replace a pair of scissors or a screwdriver because it got rusty after being left out in the rain or snow?
Don’t make comparisons—we can certainly make life easier for ourselves, our family members, our friends, and our neighbors by accepting them for who they are and not wanting what they may have.
Delay your reactions—when you hear unsettling news, stop and take a break to give yourself and others a chance to gather your emotions and even wait for more information so the reaction is tempered by good sense.
Beautify the world—I always like to make any place that I stay in cleaner, brighter, more pleasant, and, when possible, more beautiful than what I found when I arrived.
Perhaps it will be easier to make and carry out your New Year’s resolutions if you do the ordinary things in life with an awareness of how sacred and extraordinary you and those around you are as we go about being the true mystics we can be in our world. Blessings on your New Year!
Sister Mary Thill is a Sylvania Franciscan Sister. She can be reached at mthill@sistersosf.org.
The great lesson from the true mystics…
is that the sacred is in the ordinary,
that it is to be found in one’s daily life,
in one’s neighbors, friends and family,
in one’s back yard.
– Abraham H. Maslow
Honor ordinary moments.
Reframe repetition.
Watch for Samaritans.
Care for your tools.
Don’t make comparisons.
Delay your reactions.
Beautify the world.
– Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
