𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 "𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀" 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘆

“𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝… 𝙒𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙙𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙃𝙞𝙢.” 𝘾.𝙎. 𝙇𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙨, 𝙇𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙢: 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 (𝟭𝟵𝟲𝟰)

I was supposed to be walking the Camino Portuguese these past few weeks but had to reschedule my pilgrimage at the last minute to next May.

But I have really enjoyed this quiet time at home in NJ especially a few days ago when Riley and I set out for a hike on one of those golden fall mornings that seemed ideal for a spiritual reflection.

The ancient Celts had a beautiful term for such experiences and called them “thin places” — those rare, holy spaces where heaven and earth seem to touch and God feels especially near to us and for a moment, we are completely open to His presence.

The morning air was crisp with temps in the low 50s and as Riley and I made our way along the trail, I could hear the sound of the leaves falling to the ground as if God was saying “Follow Me” and just let go of those things in my backpack that I do not need to carry anymore.

Experiencing these “thin places” reminds us of what an abundant gift God’s creation is to the world and how even the simplest scenes of nature can speak to our heart if we are just willing to pause and truly see.

Riley is a great teacher in this regard and doesn’t rush through the moment the way I often do. She pauses, explores, and takes it all in — fully present to all the sights, sounds, and scents of the world around her.

God often meets us in these sacred “thin places” whether it’s on a hike, on the beach, in the people and communities we interact with, or in those quiet times of prayer where perfect stillness takes hold and we recognize that His presence is real.

I am so grateful for the many “thin places” I’ve experienced throughout my life and how the divine is often woven into the fabric of everyday life, especially when I have the privilege of sitting quietly with someone grieving the loss of a loved one.

In such sacred moments, heaven leans in a little closer as God whispers to my fellow bereaved: “I am here. You are not alone.”

“Thin places” don’t require a cathedral or a pilgrimage – they are everywhere just waiting for us to slow down, look up, and breathe in the wonder of the world God has given us.

𝗦𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂?

Where are your “thin places” where you feel God’s presence in your life?

When have you felt God’s nearness — not in extraordinary moments, but in the beautifully ordinary ones of everyday life?

Wishing you all the gift of God’s abundant graces and all those “thin places” that showcase His presence in our lives, Dr. K