The idea of a smile and kind words often strikes me. Too frequently I find myself hurrying through life – not much time for even the smallest pause.

But when I do — the present moment has time to fill up. The fullness of any given moment moves it from the secular to the sacred.

As we string these sacred moments together – one moment placed carefully on the continuum of life after another – our lives become enriched, our neighbors benefit, and our communities thrive!

These moments are a blessing…and like Abraham we should view these blessings as our opportunity to bless others.

This thinking reminds me of Moses when he notices the burning bush…he allowed room for that moment to be filled up. Moses was pausing within the moment to even notice that, though on fire, the bush was not being consumed! It is in the midst of that moment that ordinary moves into the extraordinary…the secular becomes the place of the sacred! Shoes are removed, sand presses upon the soles — G_d is present! Blessed be He.

We must begin to move towards pausing. Converting secular moments into sacred space.