Moments matter

I've been reading this book called Seizing Your Divine Moment by Erwin Raphael McManus, and it has really gotten me thinking. I've had some very strange things happening in my life lately (things I can't really go into here, but quite literally, stuff you couldn't even make up if you tried!). I have experienced more bittersweet moments this past week than I have in any other single week of my entire life.

In his book, McManus concludes that unique opportunity-filled moments are happening all around us, all of the time. These 'Divine Moments' are affording us the chance to make something of the dreams we have, to pursue the unlived adventures that continually call to us, and to positively impact the lives of people around us. The issue is not that God isn't presenting these opportunities, it's just that sometime we are not tuned in to actually recognize them. I'll be the first to admit that I can get quite overwhelmed with situations I'm facing, while simultaneously trying to keep everything in perspective... (And I have plenty of friends who would attest to the truth of this). I can be so wrapped up in the bad things I am dealing with, that I don't see the good that is also happening.

"When we stand on the sideline side of a divine moment," he says, "that moment can elude us because of its simplicity. It can seem so average, so mundane. Everything extraordinary about it may be imperceptible from where we stand. And because of that, when we miss those divine moments, we may not think we've missed anything at all. We may just assume that life is nothing more than humdrum, that there wasn't anything there to seize. That is the greatest tragedy of all."

When I read that paragraph the other night in bed, something snapped awake in me. I made a conscious decision to literally start looking for these outreach, and dream pursuit divine moments. But how do we actually do this? McManus suggests, "Whenever we take on a God-sized challenge, self sufficiency is no longer an option." I decided to ask God to help make me aware of opportunities and to have the wisdom to make the most of them.

This morning as I walked into work, the phone was already ringing. I sat down at my desk, wiggled the mouse to bring my computer screen alive and promptly answered the phone. The person on the other end of the line turned out to be a former employee of a company we do business with, who only recently lost his job due to downsizing. He explained that he was calling to see if we knew of anyone who was hiring in his field. His tone quickly turned more desperate as he went on to tell me his wife of eleven years recently filed for divorce as well, because she's been seeing someone else. In short, he was devastated.

I listened intently to what he was saying, all the while hearing a voice in the back of my head (or heart if you prefer) shouting 'Divine moment! Divine moment! Don't miss it!' Once he finished talking I said, 'You know, I myself went through a divorce not two years ago.'

'Really?' He replied, 'Then you are exactly who I should be talking to right now.'

We spent the next half hour sharing tidbits of compassion, venting about the loneliness he's living in, the 'what to expects,' how this is affecting his kids, and my attempts at not only consoling him, but offering him something that would encourage his heart. Ultimately it came to this...

'Do you mind if I ask you a question?' I asked.
'Sure, anything.'
'Do you go to church anywhere?'
'Actually yes, I'm Jewish.'
'Wow, that's great, I'm sure you can find some consolation in that, right? I mean, if I'm really honest with myself, I'll admit that there's no way I could have made it through the situation and kept a tender heart without the hand of God in my life.'
'Well, I hope to experience that.'
'I'm going to take a leap here and ask another question...'
'Sure...?'
'I know we believe a little differently, but do you mind if we pray?'
Without hesitation he responded, 'No, that would be great.'

And so, sitting there at my office desk, heart pounding in my chest, I offered an honest and desperate prayer for him, for friends to come into his life, for his kids, for a job, for God to open doors, and for healing to come into his shattered heart. Upon the amen, he immediately thanked me, and asked me to keep his cell phone number nearby because anytime I got the urge to call, he was sure he could use the conversation.

I sat there, not proud of myself for doing him this great service, but feeling humbled that God had not only opened a door to his heart, but had given me the boldness to say something. What else did I really have to give him? No one knows his situation better than God.

I never would have expected to have that conversation this morning... not on my cell phone, let alone get it at work, but just like McManus says, "When God intervenes and there is really no human explanation, your life points to God and His hand is undeniable... One of the wonderful things about living in the realm of uncertainty is that you find the journey with God is full of surprises."

I can't say that I would totally have missed the opportunity to share my thoughts and time with him if I hadn't said that prayer of willingness the other day, but I know I would have had a bit more trepidation in asking if I could pray. The big lesson of living in this 'realm of uncertainty' is that it shouldn't be an area we fear to tread into, it should be a place that we learn to exercise our faith... and trust God to make our attempts into an answer of someone else's prayers. People around us are just waiting for us to obey His call to reach out.