Over the last couple of months, I have returned again and again to the following lines in Louise Penny’s most recent book, The Grey Wolf (Minotaur Books, 2024): “In lives so unpredictable, they found sanctuary in certainty. Even if just for a moment.” I love the phrase “they found sanctuary in certainty.” For me, the power and importance of daily rituals, and the certainty that comes from these daily rituals gives me solace in the midst of life’s challenges.
For example, I love making coffee in the morning. I like filling the pot with water and pouring it into the coffee maker, and then inserting the paper coffee filter. Next, I delight in the measuring of the roasted beans and putting them in the grinder. Then, I enjoy pouring the freshly ground coffee into the filter, closing the lid, and pushing the start button. I know there are faster ways to do this and fancier machines that will make it easier, but I like the slow rhythm of making a fresh pot of coffee in the early morning.
I also like the daily ritual of sitting down in my favorite chair with that first cup of coffee, and a stack of inspirational books and my daily devotional material. Our youngest son and wife call this “slow coffee” time, and I treasure it because the hustle and bustle of the day has not kicked into full gear. With the first light of the sun rising in the east, a warm cup of coffee by my side, and a good book, I pause and take stock of myself and the day, remembering that in the midst of all this unpredictability, I can, “even if for just a moment,” find sanctuary.
I think the challenge of this time is that we are not creating enough space in our lives to find sanctuary in certainty. Every day, we are swamped with lists, e-mails, and text messages. All which need responding. So, our lives have become nothing more than one long reaction to everything and everyone.
Therefore, I suggest we pause this morning, and find the answers to the following three questions:
- Where is the place that you find sanctuary in certainty?
- Where is the place that you find peace?
- Where is the place where you feel home and safe?
Given current events, we need to create and/or find the places in our lives which offer comfort and restoration in an ever-changing and turbulent world. We also need to create and maintain a sense of community, a place that offers love, acceptance, and support during the challenges of life’s journey.
As Louise Penny continues, “Life was, after all, made up of tiny choices. Like a pointillist painting, no one dot, no one choice, defined it. But together? There emerged a picture. A life.” Thus, we need to find places where the pain and the sorrow, the stress and the grief can be released and healed. We need to find places where peace can be found and experienced. We need to find places that are a balm to our hearts, minds, and souls. We need to find places where we rediscover the sacred in the ordinary, and revel in it.
For me, one other, powerful place to discover the sacred in the ordinary and sanctuary in certainty is to witness the sunrise each morning. In this simple action, I am reminded that each new day is a gift, and that each new day has the potential to be filled with many blessings. With this in mind, I can be present to the day, and experience the sacredness of a new beginning at dawn.
This week, I hope you can create some slow coffee time in your life. I also hope you can find sanctuary in certainty, and the sacred in the ordinary.
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