The Gift of a Moment
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
How often do you find yourself rushing time? What if you paused to appreciate the fullness of each moment that was offered to you?
"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is."
– C.S. Lewis
“Be present in the moment. Good or bad, these are the moments that make up your life.”
– Unknown
Psalms 103:2
O my soul, bless God, don't forget a single blessing!
Food for Thought
Recently, I had my first float therapy session. If you’ve never experienced float therapy, it’s exactly what it sounds like – you crawl in a cocoon-like, sensory-deprivation pod filled with extremely salty water and just float. The benefits of float therapy include relaxation, improved central nervous system and brain activity, detoxification, reduction of pain – just overall healing, really.
At first it was very cool. I breathed deeply, relaxed, floated, played in the water, pretended I was one of those weird, eyeless creatures who live in caves – it was fun!
But, before too long…I got bored. My wandering thoughts transitioned from appreciating the experience of the float to wishing for it to be over. ‘How much longer do I have to be in here? I’m hungry. Where should I eat lunch after this? Oh maybe I’ll grab a coffee at that one place…’ I felt like I had been in there so long that I wondered if I had been forgotten! I couldn’t wait for the gentle jets, or music, or light, or whatever to alert me that my time was up.
Then, a thought hit me. ‘June, the next moment will come, and there’s nothing you can do about it’ – a quick, sobering reminder that, no matter how much I wished time to speed up, or slow down, the next moment would come regardless, right behind the one before it. Eventually my time would be up, and I could go about my day, but there was no use in wishing my time away and wasting the gift that the present was offering me.
And just as quickly as that thought hit me, a favorite memory appeared in my mind: It's years ago, early morning. I’m asleep on a couch in my parents’ house. For some reason, the whole family is together; perhaps it’s a holiday. Suddenly, I’m awakened by the pitter patter of little feet. My niece, who is about 3 at the time – her curly hair worn in a sprout of a ponytail right at the top of her head – has woken up before anybody else and made her way downstairs to where I am sleeping. My tired eyes blink open, and I peer over the back of the couch to see who’s coming. All I can see is a little curly ponytail bobbing towards me. My tiny niece comes right over to the couch and climbs up there with me – not quite ready to wake up, herself.
That morning I got to start my day with the sweetest toddler cuddles. I wish I could have stayed there forever. I remember telling myself not to forget that moment – I knew that that time was precious and fleeting. And it was. That niece is now 17 years old and is looking at colleges across the country.
That memory hit me like a bolt, as if God was whispering, ‘See? See how fast time flies?’ And tears started to run down my face – more salt water, just adding to the healing.
When my float time was over, I stepped out of my pod and noticed the sign hanging on the wall. “Do not forget a single blessing.”
Gratitude – it is the heart of living in each moment, of remembering each blessing.
Too many times I catch myself wishing time away. I’m restless – ready for the next thing, the next adventure, the next distraction – speeding past every precious moment and blessing God gives me. Yet it also breaks my heart how quickly time can pass. Weeks fly – another year gone. A 3-year-old is suddenly 17.
I can still remember that time with my niece so clearly because of the deep gratitude I felt in that moment – curled up there on the couch in the quiet of the morning. And I feel that same gratitude now because I had the wisdom, even then, to seal it in my memory.
For better or worse, moments pass; whether it is a moment of joy or sorrow, it is quickly gone and making way for the next, as fast as the blink of a salt water tear. Grains of sand through an hourglass. Each moment is a blessing. Cherish it. Enjoy it. Be grateful for it. For, whatever it is bringing you, it is already gone.
Be intentional today about not rushing or slowing time. Know that whatever you’re anxious about, excited about, anticipating, will get to you, and will pass. Live in each moment as it comes.
If you’re interested, give float therapy a try. You can pretend to be an eyeless cave creature, too!
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
Loving God,
Thank you for every beautiful moment that you give us. Help us to remember how quickly those moments can pass, and let that encourage us to use our time wisely on this earth – to be present with one another and in our lives, and to use ourselves toward the betterment of this planet.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Do you find yourself wanting to rush or slow time? Why do you think that might be?
Think of a good mantra to remind yourself to appreciate the present moment (i.e. “The next moment will come, and there’s nothing you can do about it”). Share this with a friend – perhaps they could use a reminder, too!
Share about a moment where you wanted to rush or slow time that you now wish you would have been more present for.
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
It seems particularly tempting to rush time when you’re a kid – wishing to be older or bigger. Perhaps talk with them about time, and how cool it is that they get to be exactly who they are right now!
This week, be intentional about cutting down the sensory-overload in your household – turn off the TV if no one is actually watching it, have screen-free play time, try using lower or warmer lighting throughout your house, or institute a house-wide quiet hour. Notice if this changes the energy in your home.
At the end of each day, ask your kiddo to recount all the blessings they experienced that day. Help them to remember blessings both big and small!
Meet Our Welcoming Voice!
June Dare Bunce is a native North Carolinian and one of the founders of The Welcome Table. Outside of TWT, she’s been a professional actor for the past fifteen years and has had the honor and pleasure of working as a drama instructor for various organizations and non-profits. When she’s not working on a script or at the office, you can either find her at the gym or on the yoga mat, walking around whatever town she’s living in, or working on the art of relaxing at home (it really is a skill).
To hear more from June throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
Here are Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Own Welcome Table!