I ventured out to pick up a friend from work this morning. Upon arrival, I selected a parking space and started to back into it. Feeling unnecessary urgency, I didn’t give myself as much room as normal and I didn’t crank my wheel as quickly as normal. But it was close. As I eyed the bumper guarding the next space, I squinted. Too close for comfort. With a sigh, I pivoted my head.
The man in front of my vehicle was waving his arms and shaking his head. “No,” he mouthed as big as his mouth could mouth it. I smiled, nodded, and waved my thank-you. He smiled and nodded back, waving back and continuing on.
I appreciated the second opinion from a better vantage point, particularly because of how close of a call it was. Moreso, I appreciated that the decision I had already made was validated by a disinterested observer: with all the dead ends I’ve hit and all the unsolicited, contrarian, and unhelpful advice I’ve been given of late, I found the validation refreshing. Just every so often, I need a little reminder that I’m doing something right.
Plus, I had to smile because a stranger took the time to pause – in the middle of his exercise routine – to help me out. It took him all of maybe ten seconds to catch my attention, but that’s ten seconds many people would not have thought to give let alone paused after thinking of it to give. Many of us are so embroiled in our own lives that we can’t see the issues affecting others. Sometimes are better than others – it’s not an all-or-nothing question: we sometimes pounce on opportunities to serve others whereas other times we serve reluctantly, or decide against it, or default on any decision by missing the chance.
This post isn’t about saying yes more than you can handle. I’m learning more daily about how over-piling tasks on my to-do list weakens my ability to properly say yes to anything at all. (Sunday afternoon, for example, the only thing I could say yes to was sleep. I squeaked out a short drive, but I had to blast cold air in my face for safety reasons; it wasn’t comfortable. Not to mention the delay in some recent applications I’ve been working on…)
My question today is this: do we pause to lift up others in small ways? Do we hold the door for the person behind us, or open the gate for someone intent on exiting it who can’t spare a hand? Do we wave at cars traveling the wrong way down a one-way street? (Safety reminder: always look both ways when crossing the road!) Do we pause to say thank you to parents showing great patience with their children, or to children showing parents respect in public places?
Serving others – in small ways, in big ways, in quick ways, in slow ways, in any way consistent with God’s plan – brings us closer to God. It also brings us closer to our fellow human beings, whether or not they believe in Christ, because serving each other necessarily brings us together. Small holy moments are holy moments, and lifting others up qualifies.
Pause. What’s a holy moment?
A Holy Moment is a moment when you are being the person God created you to be, and you are doing what God is calling you to do in that moment.
Matthew Kelly, The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity
(also available on Amazon)
The man in the parking lot today gifted me one of his holy moments. When you held the door open for the person behind you: holy moment. When we pause to check on a friend: holy moment. When we help another de-stress: holy moment. When we volunteer, whether it be for an event or a specific chore: holy moment. When we wait patiently for pedestrians in the crosswalk: holy moment. When we smile warmly in passing at a stranger: holy moment. When we put spare change in a donation jar: holy moment.
Follow-up questions: would you do it again? When you last paused for a holy moment, how did you feel in that moment? (Notice that this is a when question, not an if question. We’ve all had holy moments!) Did your perspective shift on anything that day (perhaps via less stress about a decision or more hope in a situation)?
Are you allowing more holy moments to happen through you?
