Seize the Time

Henri Nouwen was a Roman Catholic priest, professor, and theologian who published 39 books and hundreds of articles exploring the Christian walk. In his book Discernment, Nouwen ponders how we hear God's voice in our daily lives:

"When we are spiritually deaf, we are not aware that anything important is happening in our lives," Nouwen writes in his opening chapter. "We keep running away from the present moment, and we try to create experiences that make our lives worthwhile. So we fill up our time to avoid the emptiness we otherwise would feel.

"When we are truly listening, we come to know that God is speaking to us, pointing the way, showing the direction. We simply need to learn to keep our ears open. Discernment is a life of listening to a deeper sound and marching to a different beat, a life in which we become 'all ears.'"

As he closes the book, Nouwen affirms that God is in the here and now: "Jesus came in the fullness of time. He will come again in the fullness of time. Wherever the Christ is, time is brought to its fullness. Our spiritual task is to 'seize the time' -- the right time for God's purpose here and now."

How well are you living in the present moment, feeling your own breath, the air moving in the room, the movement of your hands, the sounds in the world around you?

Kairos time is the fullness of God's presence, rather than the linear strand of chronological time. How will you seep in kairos time this week, allowing God to speak?

Peace to you,

Jennie