Today, I am thankful for everyday reverence.
Reverence is a gentle virtue;
it is also strong.
Reverence is a tender virtue;
it is also tough.
Reverence is a patient virtue;
it is also persistent.
Reverence bears no ill will toward others;
it is able to bear the ill will of others when necessary.
Reverence is a virtue that prepares us well to belong to one another;
it reaches out to those who have given messages of not wishing to belong.
When we approach others with gentle reverence, we bring gifts and share theirs with us.
~Paula Ripple from "Growing Strong at Broken Places"
The dictionary defines reverence as "a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe, veneration ... derived from Latin, reverentia: respect, fear, awe."
As a child, I had misplaced reverence for intimidating buildings like churches, museums and shops filled with expensive china and fragile blown glass objects. My parents' constant "don't touch" admonitions gave these structures and their contents a false holiness.
As an adult, I've developed a fresh reverence for everyday things that I might otherwise take for granted. Right now, I am thinking of many things including:
- The clearest, bluest skies - picture postcard perfect
- A snowcapped Pikes Peak looming over the city
- Early spring daffodils and irises that decorate the garden
- Scores of new leaf buds on the viburnum, scrub oak and lilacs
- Masses of seedlings sprouting in their tiny pots
- Warm, southerly breezes that herald kite-flying weather
- Early morning bird symphonies that enliven my routine walks with T
For this blessing, I am grateful.
Amen.
Photo: Two sunny, yellow daffodils in front yard garden - first of the season
