A simple moment
Reflections of a foreigner
March 12, 2008
Rachelle Gannon
Do you ever got caught up in the moment? A seemingly ordinary moment where an instant later you become acutely aware of what God is doing around you? A moment where you are suddenly struck by His greatness and majesty – left speechless and in awe. It’s those times in which the dullness of life completely vanishes – if only for an instant – and we are left either feeling so incredibly insignificant because we have just caught a glimpse of the greatness of God, or our lives become so much more purposeful because we have seen a little bit of how He is using us. Rob Bell puts it well when he describes times like this as “ordinary moments in ordinary settings that all of a sudden become infused with something else: meaning, significance and hope.”
I had a moment like this in the Fall while spending the semester on exchange. One day I was walking home from school, thinking about the nine-hour time difference between where I was and my home in Oregon. How ironic that as my day was winding down my family’s day was just getting started? Walnut Boulevard would be packed with students trying to get to school on time. My favourite Starbucks would be filled with customers impatiently waiting for their morning vice. My brother – most likely running late – would be cursing at inanimate objects while throwing on his backpack and falling out the front door. Suddenly, I was struck by the hugeness of God; how I was just finishing my day of worries, stresses, complaints and on the other side of the world God was just getting started with all of their problems.
I became aware of how caught up in my own problems and how “me-focused” I can be when frankly there is a whole world out there of people going through similar problems. The feeling of being alone while in a foreign country can be rather intense at times, yet how many people in the world act as if they are the only ones alive – too caught up in their loneliness to open their eyes to the world around them?
Humanity’s common thread seemed to jump out at me and I became amazed at our similarities. Across the Atlantic Ocean, in ancient French cathedrals, mothers still yell at their children, telling them to behave. In every language, couples whisper secrets to one another. In every teenager, there is drama to be created over the pettiest issues. In every government, there are those complaining, trying to find the quickest route to flee the country’s leadership. Under every starry sky there are prayers for a better tomorrow and a hope that there is something bigger “out there.” After all, God didn’t create us to go through life by ourselves. Yet how often do we go about carrying our problems on our own?
I bought a croissant and smiled on my walk home, knowing that the rather large middle-aged French baker (with quite possibly the bushiest eyebrows I have ever seen) really was no different from this teeny-bopping American girl.
Now you go...
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