Photo by Oliver Hihn on Unsplash

I’m joining today with the Five Minute Friday community of writers who write for 5 minutes about a one-word prompt.

Today’s writing prompt is SIMPLE.

Sometimes, songs or phrases, or verses from the Scriptures land in my heart and make their home there for a season — rooting themselves down deep into my soul.

In this season of Advent, a certain song that contains a certain, well-known phrase, is doing just that.

“Gloria in excelsis Deo.”

It’s a Latin phrase that comes from a traditional hymn that translates to, “Glory be to God in the highest.”

I’ve been turning this phrase over in my mind, holding it in my heart as the dark night of Advent comes and the anticipation of waiting and longing and yearning for the Savior continues to build.

And the more I contemplate and ponder its meaning, the more I hear the invitation of these sacred words.

“Gloria in excelsis Deo.”

Glory be to God in the highest.

The invitation to look for where the Light pours in — to take notice of the simple places where glory leaks in and out and all around. Thin places — places and moments in time where the presence of God seems close and the space between heaven and earth grows gaunt — are all around if we lean in close enough to listen for them, to look for them.

It’s in the glow of a sunrise, the sound of laughter, the weeping of mourning, the feel of a warm mug in tired hands, the flickering light of a candle, the folding of laundry, the making of meals, and the sweeping of floors.

It’s all around, wrapped up in everything because His presence weaves Himself throughout all things.

We don’t have to wait to experience glory, it’s not just waiting for us at heaven’s gates. It’s right here, right now, at this very moment. If you need a map to the glory surrounding you, start with your breath — the very lungs of God breathed His own breath into mankind at the beginning of time and you now carry it inside of you.

The breath from of old, an ancient gift, the ultimate gift.

With every inhale and exhale, you breathe in glory, you take in Light.

In all that feels simple and small today, remember that you are a Glory-Bearer. And Glory-Bearers are given the gift of seeking out wonder all around us because the wonder of Christ lives within us.

“Gloria, in excelsis Deo.”

Glory be to God in the highest.

Glory be to God in the simple, small places.

Glory be to God in those thin place moments when all is calm and quiet and Light can be heard leaking in through the dark.

May peace be with you,