Seeing God in the Ordinary

A few weeks ago at work we were upgrading a seriously-complicated computer system. The team I work with had a whiteboard full of a long checklist of items to “not forget to do” to make the complex transition a success.  We were assigning responsibilities to each of the checklist items when one of my team added “Pray” to the bottom of the list and assigned it to me.  He said, “We all know we need this item, and we know that Dan prays, so this one is a no-brainer.”  We all had a good laugh about the addition to the list, but the item remained there.

A few days ago, we were finishing off the checklist and someone asked if we could check off the “Pray” item yet.  I replied in the affirmative and added that I knew that my prayer all during the computer upgrade had been the reason the whole experience had been easier than we originally thought it would be.  We all talked again about the whole idea of including “prayer” on our list, and finally someone put a check in the box next to the word “Pray.”

Later, I thought about the experience and realized that it was a great moment of sharing something with the others about who I really am and about my relationship with Jesus without pushing my “religion” on anyone. The saying, “Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words.” is attributed to St. Francis, and I believe that a life lived in Jesus will draw more people to Him than when folks just try to force their ideas about religion on others.  This work experience made me stop and notice this “presence” of God in my simple everyday life.  I stopped right then and said a quiet prayer of thanksgiving for being part of that “sharing of Jesus” and for the simple realization of it at that moment.

I think these “graced moments” happen to us all the time.  If we can just stop and notice that God is present, it’s a great time to stop for a minute and say a prayer of thanksgiving.  I’m hoping we will all recognize a moment or two like that soon.  When you do, say a quick prayer!  Peace!

Danny G