Well hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood muck and docks.
Welcome to Towards the Light,
An Advent journey,
Day 12,
And today I'm going to share with you a little bit about what it means to live mindfully.
Advent isn't just a season about waiting for what's to come,
But more so it's about how we live in the present,
How we go about living in our waiting.
Each day offers a chance to align our hearts and minds with the presence of God,
Even in the smallest of actions.
Angel Berry reminds us,
How we live our days is of course how we live our lives.
Advent challenges us to consider,
Are we living in a way that reflects the light that we are preparing to welcome?
In Colossians chapter 3 verses 15 to 17,
St Paul offers a simple but profound call.
This is what he writes,
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
Since as members of one body you are called to peace.
Be thankful.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms,
Hymns and songs from the Spirit,
Singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
And whatever you do,
Whether in word or deed,
Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
Giving thanks to God.
When we approach our lives with this spirit of mindfulness,
Even the most mundane actions like making a cup of tea,
Folding the laundry,
Making the bed,
Pulling weeds,
Even driving to work,
Can all become acts of worship.
Now mindfulness isn't about adding something to your to-do list,
Rather it's about bringing an intentionality to what is already there with you in the present.
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the moments that often pass unnoticed and seeing them as invitations to encounter God.
St.
Paul again,
In 1 Thessalonians 5 verses 16 to 18,
Reminds us,
Rejoice always,
Pray continually,
Give thanks in all circumstances,
For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I wonder,
What would our days look like if we let gratitude and prayer shape even the smallest of our actions,
The shortest of our words,
The smallest of our thoughts?
Take a moment to reflect today.
What daily habit,
What daily action,
Chore,
Could you approach more mindfully?
Perhaps it's something in your morning routine,
A task at work,
Or the way you interact with those around you.
What might change if you slowed down,
Took a deep breath,
And invited God with you,
Intentionally invited God with you into that moment,
And lived into that moment yourself with all the intention and mindfulness that you could bring to it?
So as you enter this day,
May you find God's presence in the ordinary moments of your life.
May you live each day with a heart full of gratitude and a mind tuned to grace.
May your smallest actions reflect the love and light of Christ.
And may you discover that every moment can be a prayer when that moment is lived with intentionality and mindfulness.
Today,
Choose one small,
Ordinary action,
Thought,
Word,
Something you might usually rush through or take for granted,
And approach it as a sacred act.
Whether it's preparing a meal,
Or watering the garden,
Or washing the dishes,
Brushing the dog,
What have you,
Let that moment remind you of God's presence with you right here and right now.
For in doing so,
You will actually be creating a space in front of you that is truly sacred.
We'll talk a little bit more about that tomorrow.
Until then,
Grace,
Peace,
And love be with you,
My friend.
Bye for now.
