A savored moment

Have you ever woken up and just had this feeling that today was one of those days that had the potential to change your life forever?

Today was one of those days. I woke up refreshed and the first thing I did was reach for my Bible, curl up with the Word and read myself to full awakeness in the morning light. I went downstairs and made smoothies. I got ready in a fun outfit that was almost completely borrowed – Allis’ brick red shirt and a fun, flared black skirt from Ashley’s collection. I put my hair up and was actually ready for my day before getting in the car. That was very unusual.

Even though it is middle-late July and it is humid and hot, the morning was particularly bright and clear, almost like spring again. Instead of the usual gray-brown haze over everything, the sky was perfect blue, the flowers in the House gardens were blazing red and yellow. The tall, dark, purple plants seemed as if they had exploded in size overnight and seemed at least half my height. It is warm with the slightest breath of breeze, and everything growing around seems wild, untamed, and clear. Breathtaking.

It was another one of those days where everything seemed to go right. I hesitate to say it, but by God’s grace I’ve been having a lot of those lately. Though I believe that probably has more to do with my perspective than my circumstances. But the Metros I need seem to be there always right when I need them. The elevator comes to the 4^th floor right when I need it – which NEVER happens – that’s usually a battle in and of itself. And again a clear blessing of God, even though I should have lost a week of writing with all the correction debacle earlier this month, I seem to be a week… ahead. I’ve averaged 35 letters a day this week, and if I keep it up, by Friday there will be no stack. Which is very bizarre. I remember when I first took this job, JP told me about how there were times he’d be waiting on the boss to get him the mail and he’d start preempting and then boss would get mad. I could not conceive of a circumstance under which I could possibly not have a stack. When I first got to the job, I did alright; then I hit a good pace when I was making quotas for myself, I made progress, but just couldn’t get ahead. I kept thinking about coming in on the weekends, but never ended up doing it because I felt like I needed rest so badly. And God has blessed me every time. It’s amazing to think that I am within striking distance. I feel like God is enabling me to do my job well. It’s not explainable any other way.

I wrote 40 letters today, actually, along with taking a meeting and running in between committee rooms. Boss had two simultaneous mark-ups. It was insanity, but I was able to get my stuff done and help others, too. Dare I say that at this moment, vocationally, I feel like I belong?

Then it was Bible study, which was wonderful. It was a charming evening, just nice enough to walk around comfortably, with an almost-fall cool in the air. Still warm, but not overbearing. The sky had turned a bluish-purple. A single bright planet hung over the Capitol skyline as we wandered the brick sidewalks at twilight. I felt like I was floating.

Though it may last only a moment, doesn’t God give us this for a reason? A small taste of what Heaven might possibly be like? The peace, the hope, the expectation of what God will do? It’s so rich and free and perfect and real, you can almost taste it. But one cannot feast on the moment; you have to savor it, to remember, for it may well be your Ebenezer for the dry times that will come.

There will be good times, too. And it just makes me wonder if, someday, I will be able to look back on a day like this and see it at a pivotal moment. Not that I know that today changed my life.

But you never know.

Life is not the amount of breaths you take.
It’s the moments that take your breath away.