Divine Ordinariness

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn

Divine ordinariness? What a fabulous phrase. I was reading a book for a class on archetypal energy and stumbled across this concept. The idea of finding the sacred in the every day is one that really appeals to me. It’s at the very heart of the sanctuary philosophy.

What kind of ordinary, day-to-day acts might fall under this category of divine ordinariness?

Making the bed.

Sweeping the floor.

Washing the dishes.

Picking up after our pets.

It’s really anything we do that is repetitive and helps maintain our lives. Going to the grocery, cleaning out our closets, mowing our grass or watering our potted plants. Changing diapers, wiping the counters, taking out the trash.

Can there be connection with the sacred in performing these mundane tasks?

I truly believe the answer is yes.

The challenge is to be so present that we can sense the texture of the moment as it flows by. We notice the warmth of the water running over our hands and into the sink as we wash the dishes. We notice the crispness of the sheet under our hands as we smooth the covers, the smell of the freshly-cut grass as we tend to our garden. We notice the birds singing outside the window and the warmth of the sun on our skin.

We. Show. Up.

We show up to the present moment fully and completely, with every sense attuned to what we are doing and to the world around us. There is comfort in performing rituals and tasks that are routine in our world that is ever-changing. Not only can we find peace in the act of making our bed but then we re-experience it every time we walk back through our room, and again when we go to climb back in it that night.

Divine ordinariness is flowing with the energy of the every day, flowing into the moment at hand. It is finding the magic, the spark and the absolute joy that is available to us all the time. It is seeing the sacred light of the divine in everything.

Exploring and understanding divine ordinariness is a gift we give to ourselves and to the world around us. We become one with the pure essence of life itself and find meaning in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.

Divine ordinariness is totally a part of sanctuary. It encapsulates one of the things I love about the word sanctuary—it increases my sense of what is sacred and holy around me.

Does this resonate with you? I would love to hear how you might approach something in your day today with a sense of divine ordinariness.

With love and gratitude,

Lisa