Five Minutes
Amber Hernandez of East Garrison, CA, USA
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake. -Psalm 23:1-3
I was sitting in the car in the Starbucks drive-through on a cold, rainy, and windy morning. The line was taking forever! I had left my phone on my night stand, so I was really bored.
I was listening to the radio, but can’t even remember what song came on. I was consumed watching a man who was sitting on a park bench with a piece of plastic draped over his head. I began to sob. The more I thought about how I was feeling earlier made me sob even more! How complacent I was, sitting in my car with the heater on, listening to 106.3, while waiting for coffee.
I kept trying to ignore him. Then it happened! I saw the words of the Mission Prayer on the beautiful blue card I keep in my car: “God, where will your Spirit lead today? Help me be fully awake and ready to respond. Grant me courage to risk something new and become a blessing of your love and peace.”
Then the questions started, “Well, what can I do, God? I don’t have money; I don’t have a care bag. I have nothing and there are a million people in this line so I don’t want to slow down. God, send a hint to the cars behind me. Not me, not right now, not today. I just want my coffee so I can go home and get some work done. Please!”
I looked in my change drawer again, then asked the lady at the window to please add a venti coffee with three sweeteners to my order. I drove out, made a U-turn, walked through the rain puddles, and simply said, “Excuse me, sir.”
The sweetest, softest, most tender voice replied as the man lifted his head from under his plastic, “Yes, ma’am?”
“Would you like a hot cup of coffee?” I asked.
A smile appeared, and he said, “Well, I can’t really move right now, ma’am.”
“You don’t need to. Just hold your hand out,” I replied.
He reached out and I gave him the coffee. He asked for God to bless me, and I said, “No, God bless you in this freezing, cold rain.”
That was it…5 MINUTES!!!! FIVE MINUTES out of my morning and this man’s voice pierced my heart and touched my soul. I will never forget the sound of his voice and the touch of his hand.
Prayer Phrase
“Every breath is a resurrection” (Gregory Orr).
Spiritual Practice
Breath of Life
Take a few moments right now to breathe. Simply observe each inhale and exhale. Pay attention to how it feels in your body. Notice the rise and fall of your chest. Notice how you breathe even when you aren’t thinking about it, how your body instinctively knows how to keep you alive without your thought or effort. In this moment, you are alive. Receive this awareness as an expression of divine grace. In joy or despair, loss or celebration, your body continues breathing. How is your breath a resurrection this day?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
