The Thin Space of the Sky

It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.

One of the things I love most about my little family is that we take the time to look at the sky. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets never go unnoticed.  On a spring break trip,  I planned our dinner time around being able to watch the sunset over the water. And although I couldn’t convince anyone to join me for the early sunrise, I chased the changing colors of sky.

I have found the beauty of the sky to be a thin space.  Thin spaces are those places and moments where the separation between the physical and the spiritual world seem “thin.”  The veil between the natural world and the spiritual realm diminishes. God feels nearer and clearer.

I am convinced that there are moments when the space does indeed become “thinner” . . . The beauty of the sky, the wind on my face, waves crashing around me, mountains, music, tears.

I am also convinced that thin space can be found in ordinary moments, in all of life. But in order for this to happen, we have to learn to be satisfied.

A while back, a painful relationship was at the bitter end. One evening, in the midst of that excruciating heartbreak, he alerted me to the sunset and asked me to take a drive. I somewhat reluctantly got in the car and we began trying to find the perfect view. We found a few places and stopped. I was satisfied, but he was convinced that we could find a view with less obstruction. The longer we drove the more I was convinced that we may miss the sunset entirely. We found an open field just in time and I allowed myself to sit quietly and take it all in, my body relaxing and my soul beginning to feel at peace. A thin space. About the moment that I was thinking that I was beautifully content to sit there until the sun faded completely into darkness, he pulled away. Leaving the beauty that we had found behind us.  It was a fairly symbolic moment for me, but it applies to so much of life.

It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. If we insist on perfection, we may miss the beauty that is right in front of us. And once rare beauty is found, hold on to it! Breathe it in and allow the space to become thin.