Finding Peace in the Everyday: Small Moments of Grace

We often think of grace as something reserved for mountaintop moments — a profound sermon, a powerful worship service, or a life-changing answered prayer. But lately, I've been struck by how quietly grace tends to show up in the ordinary rhythms of daily life.

Last Tuesday, I was running late for a hospital visit. I was frazzled, mentally rehearsing what I'd say, when I stopped at a red light and noticed an elderly man helping a young child feed the ducks at the pond on Elm Street. Neither of them had any idea I was watching. There was nothing dramatic about it. And yet, something in me slowed down. I took a breath. I remembered why I do this work.

That moment was a gift I didn't ask for.

The theologian Frederick Buechner once wrote that grace is something you can never get but can only be given — a quality of life we stumble across in the most unexpected places. I think that's exactly right. We can't manufacture it or schedule it, but we _can_ cultivate eyes to see it.

This is easier said than done, of course. Most of us are moving fast. Our phones are always within reach. Our to-do lists feel endless. In that kind of noise, the quiet moments of grace get drowned out before we even notice them.

So how do we start to notice?

One thing I've found helpful is ending each day by asking one question: _Where did I see goodness today?_ It doesn't need to be a big answer. Maybe it's the neighbor who waved from across the street. A cup of coffee that was exactly the right temperature. A conversation with a friend that went longer than expected because neither of you wanted it to end.

A second practice is to pause before meals — not just to say a rote blessing, but to genuinely sit for five seconds and recognize that you didn't grow this food, you didn't build the kitchen, and you didn't earn this day on your own. Gratitude, even brief gratitude, rewires the heart over time.

Third, try telling someone specifically what you appreciate about them this week. Not a general "you're great," but something particular: _"The way you handled that difficult situation at work said a lot about your character."_ Giving that gift often opens us up to receiving grace ourselves.

One of the things I love most about this community is that we're not just together on Sunday mornings. We show up for each other in all the in-between times — the hospital waiting rooms, the moving days, the potluck dinners, the grief. That's where real faith gets lived out, and it's beautiful to witness.

If you've had a moment of unexpected grace lately, I'd love to hear about it. Share it with someone this week. Those stories have a way of multiplying.

Grace and peace to you.