The Daily: Sunday December 14, 2025

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert."

Isaiah 35:5-6

Holy Noticing in Ordinary Places

God rarely arrives with fanfare. The most profound work of transformation often happens in the most ordinary places - in the healing of one person, in the persistence of someone who refuses to give up, in small community acts of repair and tenderness. This is how God has always worked, through tiny movements that eventually reshape everything. Think about the story that led to Jesus' birth - generations of ordinary people making faithful choices, most of whom never saw the full impact of their obedience. Or consider how Jesus himself worked - not by overthrowing empires, but by touching individual lives, one conversation, one healing, one act of love at a time.

We're invited to practice what we might call "holy noticing" - paying attention to the quiet signs of God's work around us. Maybe it's the neighbor who brings meals to the elderly woman next door. Perhaps it's the teacher who stays late to help a struggling student. It could be the friend who listens without judgment when you're falling apart. These aren't headline-making events, but they're the building blocks of God's kingdom. When we learn to notice these small signs, we begin to see that God is already at work, quietly, persistently, lovingly, creating a future we cannot yet fully see. Our job isn't to manufacture hope or force dramatic change - it's to participate in the small, faithful acts that God uses to heal the world.

Reflection
Where do you see God working in the ordinary, everyday moments of your life and community that you might have previously overlooked?

Prayer
God, help me to develop eyes that see your work in the ordinary places and everyday moments. Give me wisdom to participate in the small acts of love and justice that you use to transform the world. May I be faithful in the little things, trusting that you are weaving them into something beautiful. Amen.