Happy Victoria Day! This is a holiday! Well, at least it is for many people. For some, however, it’s just another day, the same as any other.
For me, it’s not really a day off. This has not been a long weekend. I was in meetings on Friday (my normal day off), write my sermon on Saturday, had church yesterday. Today I’ve been doing (amongst other things) some prep work for Walking In The Moment – our Provincial Synod and conference. Tonight I’ll be worshipping with my northernmost community for our weekly service.
Not much of a holiday.
And yet, the word derives from “Holy Day” and so I decided to keep it holy. Holy, of course, meaning something that has been set aside from the ordinary, something healthy, whole, complete. Something relating to the divine.
So I challenged myself not to do something different in order to make this day holy, but to keep it as normal as possible and to seek out the holy moments within it.
When I said my morning prayer, I lit a candle to keep myself focused on the divine light made manifest in the world and in my life.
When I worked out, I focused on what a blessing it is to be in a physical state where I can exercise for fun (if it can be called fun!), and that I am able to appreciate the health I have (while striving to maintain or improve it!)
When I made my lunch, I realised that I had more choices than I knew what to do with, and was able to nourish myself with a rather tasty meal consisting of all food groups.
As I’m ticking things off of the too-long to-do list, I’m aware that every thing completed means less stress and obligation for tomorrow. I’m concentrating on keeping God in this work, to keep it as an effort to glorify God.
As the day continues, the tasks remain quite ordinary. But I’m choosing to see them as holy – as set apart, as ways of recognising God’s presence in my day
Despite being at home instead of at the cabin; despite engaging in work rather than in uninterrupted recreation; despite being immersed in the ‘ordinary’; today is, for me, a holy day. A holiday. I hope all you readers have had as holy a holiday as I have!
