It all started with a Post-it note and it was perched in a prominent spot above Katherine May’s desk. Katherine May is an author who lives in England.
The note said, “Go for a walk.”
At the time she was experiencing some hard times during the height of the pandemic. Like most of us she was bored, restless, burned out. Her usual ritual — walking — had fallen away, along with other activities that used to bring her pleasure: collecting pebbles, swimming in the sea, savoring a book.
“There was nothing that made the world feel interesting to me,” she said in a recent interview with The New York Times. “I felt like my head was kind of full and empty at the same time.”
In her latest book, “Enchantment,” she describes how a simple series of actions, like writing that note, helped her to discover little things that filled her with wonder and awe — and, in turn, made her feel alive again.
She says it begins by asking yourself this question: What soothes you?
It might be going on a walk. Or visiting an art museum. Maybe you enjoy watching the shifting clouds. For some people, that soothing moment might be found in a place of worship.
Whatever it is, find a way to do it.
In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew tells us the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus. It is a moment when Jesus is transfigured before the eyes of his disciples, and they witness his glory as the Son of God. It is a moment of wonder and awe, and the disciples are filled with both fear and joy.
The experience of the Transfiguration and Katherine May's experience with the Post-it note remind us that we too can find moments of wonder and awe in our daily lives.
Lent is a time for us to take a step back from our busy lives and reflect on our relationship with God. It is a time for us to reconnect with the world around us and discover the beauty and wonder that God has created for us.
There are many everyday moments when we can experience the presence of God in our lives. It can be as simple as feeling a sense of peace and contentment in the midst of a busy day, or finding beauty in the natural world around us.
It can also be through moments of connection with others, such as a kind word or gesture, or a feeling of love and compassion towards someone else.
Others may find God in acts of service or by practicing gratitude and mindfulness in their daily lives. For some people, prayer or meditation can be a powerful way to connect with God and experience God's presence.
Ultimately, the ways in which we experience God's presence are as varied as we are as individuals.
Whatever it is, find a way to do it
Of course the goal of this is when we emerge from Lent, we will have a renewed sense of purpose and we will be filled with the same kind of joy and wonder that the disciples experienced on the mountain during the Transfiguration.
By finding moments of beauty and wonder in the most unexpected places we will be better able to face the challenges of the world knowing that God is with us!
So, what soothes YOU?
Whatever it is, find a way to do it.
Let us use this Lenten season as our own Post-it Note-Transfiguration moment, to rediscover the wonder and awe of God's creation and to emerge from this time with a renewed sense of purpose and a greater appreciation for the world around us.
Start by just writing yourself a note and going out for a walk.