Invitations take two

As I have been thinking about invitations, regardless of the occasion, there is a process that is often followed.  It starts with getting ready.  This could involve shopping for a gift or writing a card.  The day comes for the party, you get dressed up, and head there.  The party is humming with activity and conversations...maybe some music and dancing.  Finally, there is the after-glow...which can sometimes last for awhile. 

I was at a party a few weeks ago, and the next time I saw the person in whose honor it was given, the smile was just as broad and bright as it was that night.  Some couples I've married seem to never let go of that honeymoon love dancing in their eyes. 

Yet, every day is an invitation for us to set our intention.  Yet, I was certainly never taught how to do this.  I thought that everyday was pretty much the same.  Get up, eat, work, eat, work some more, go to a meeting, eat one more time, go to bed...the cycle starts over again.  But that seems to be a colorless way of living.  What if instead, every day was a canvass you were invited to paint upon?  Is there something coming up tomorrow that you are excited about?  Or perhaps dreading?  Or even indifferent?  What if some of the practices of preparing for a party were brought into every day.  No, you don't need a Hallmark card for Thursday...unless that sets your soul stirring.  But, what if, as you breathe and pause to start the day, you set your mind to seeing the ordinary sacredness of Thursday.  What if you would pick out a shirt that reflects your prayer for Thursday.  Maybe your prayer is to be bold...wear RED.  Or to be calm then wear a nice blue or soothing gray.  What if you selected a song of the day as music for your intention?  What if, when you got home, you spent just a few moments reflecting and reviewing where there was more than a trace of God's grace.

Part of the reason we love parties is they get us out of the rut and routine.  And yet, woven into every day can be moments of grace and an openness to joy.  So, I invite you to do just that right now.  Look over your calendar for tomorrow.

What kind of prayerful intention do you want to set for the day? 
What kind of music might help set the tone?
What kind of clothing can already show and shine the way you long to go?

This might seem silly on some level.  But honestly, we need rituals that re-enforce what our souls long to express.  There can come a day when you can wear a brown robe everyday and still feel more joy than can be contained.  There can come a day when even in silence you hear angels singing.  But for most of us, we need a few ways to assist us and aid our hearts. 

My prayer is that somewhere in this post is an invitation that sets your soul singing...it might come from words I wrote...or even better if it is in the small spaces between words and paragraphs.  May there be more than a trace of God's grace noticed and celebrated on that glorious day called, Thursday!

Amen.