Sacred Life Sunday #2

(All art by Elena Ray)

I'm still new to Sacred Life Sunday and mulling over exactly what the word sacred means to me. I guess I think of it as something we set apart and hold in the highest regard. It is something so special that we will not allow anything to interfere with its place in our life. I believe it is also something we deem to be holy.


Dictionary.com defines it as:

• Dedicated to or set apart for the worship of a deity.


• Worthy of religious veneration: the sacred teachings of the Buddha.


• Made or declared holy: sacred bread and wine.


• Dedicated or devoted exclusively to a single use, purpose, or person: sacred to the memory of her sister; a private office sacred to the President.


• Worthy of respect; venerable.


• Of or relating to religious objects, rites, or practices.

So, by these definitions, what do I hold sacred; especially on this particular Sunday?Moments. There are those moments when the clouds of everyday thought begin to part, and true clarity becomes real. Some bright truth is suddenly clear and we wish to take a snapshot to forever preserve that moment in our mind and memory.

Like when in the midst of chaos, you realize you'd better cherish the moment you're in with your children because they will grow up before you know it. We all know this in our head but this truth has a way of piercing our heart when we least expect it.

Or, when it becomes clear that all the fussing and fidgeting in the world will not change what another thinks of us and that we must not change who we are but become even more us. I can't count the times I've tried to become someone else in the hope of receiving love from men who were not right for me.

There is also that moment when we know we must finally go after our dreams because they're unlikely to just fall into our lap.

Some people don't seem to struggle with this very much but I know I do. I've always wanted to be a writer, artist and dancer. What do I do? I'm a legal assistant at a law firm. A great law firm, mind you, but this is not exactly what I set out to do. Finally, in my 40's, I've decided to push back the fear and chase after those dreams. Well, at least two of them. Its unlikely I'll become a professional dancer at this point but I can still shake my thang with the best of 'em!


As for the writing and art, I've been blogging for over a year now, have written some flash fiction and poetry, and plan to write some short stories for submission. I used to draw way back in school but haven't done much since. The tendonitis in my right hand gives me trouble off and on but I don't want that to stop me from drawing again. When I'm unable to do that because holding the pencil hurts too much, I can try art journaling, digital art and photography. I've been so inspired by the work of the artists I've linked to in my sidebar along with many other artists, like Elena Ray, I'm just itching to try some new things!

A sacred moment might also be when we are completely at peace and accepting of our place in life. We might plan to make changes in the future; and if we don't, they'll most likely still occur. But during those sacred moments, we are happy with the foundation we've built (family, friends, beliefs, values) and know we can survive whatever the winds of change might blow our way.

Our minds hold so much that we tend to think of many of these truths in a "yeah, yeah, I know" surface only way. The sacred moments I refer to here are the ones that reach our hearts.

I look forward to my next sacred moment and pray that my heart and mind are open to receiving it.


May you experience a sacred moment soon!