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From time to time, I’ll be sharing a brief reflection here in Norval Online called Ordinary Grace. It’s a chance to notice some of the everyday places where grace, hope, and God’s presence might meet us.
There are two chipmunks who have made my backyard their playground, causing endless entertainment and delight. I’ve watched them chase each other across the grass, disappear under the deck, and come racing back out again. I have absolutely no idea what they’re doing, but they seem to be having a wonderful time. More than once, I’ve found myself simply stopping to watch them.
Maybe that’s why I’ve been thinking lately about how much competes for our attention. There is plenty happening in our communities and around the world that is troubling, frightening, or overwhelming. Paying attention matters. Caring about what is happening around us matters. There are things we shouldn't look away from. But fear has a way of narrowing our vision. When something worries us, it can become the thing we keep returning to. Before long, what frightens us can begin to feel like the whole story. But it rarely is.
Noticing what is good doesn’t ask us to look away from what is difficult. Perhaps it simply helps us keep our eyes open to the whole of life. There are people showing kindness, caring for neighbours, and working for justice and healing. There is laughter around tables, beauty appearing in unexpected places, someone checking in on a friend. And yes, sometimes there are two chipmunks racing around the backyard, making us smile.
None of that makes the difficult things disappear. But perhaps it helps us remember that they are not the whole story either. Maybe paying attention to grace means remembering to look for what else is true. Because fear is real. But so are kindness and courage. So are beauty and laughter. So is love.
Perhaps ordinary grace is found when we widen our gaze and discover that there is still so much goodness waiting to be noticed.
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