On a recent retreat, there was a lot of reflection about being in this moment. “This moment is all we have - the future is fiction”. It also stuck with me about “holding onto ourselves less tightly” - when we do this we allow love to cross over to ourselves from God and the world as if forming a bridge.

Remaining in the moment is a constant work in progress for me. It's so easy to look back, and it's so easy to look ahead, not valuing and appreciating the moment we are actually present in and living in right now.

When I begin walking around the hospital at the start of my shift, I always ground myself in the moment. It's all we have and each moment with a patient and holding space for them is crucial. We are providing the Sacrament of Presence (as one colleague once described it).

I started today by printing off a selection of Breath Prayers to leave in the hospital chapel and to take with me as I made my visits and encounters. I have copied these below.

They are so useful in keeping us all in the present moment.

I left one patient with all three of these to use alongside the Bible they were so grateful for - as well as the healing sea view they are blessed with from their hospital bed.

I also left Breath prayers with a patient who asked me where on earth they begin with their journey of faith when they are suffering? The answer is again - in this very moment. From what is already in your heart. Through each breath and through prayer. I gave this patient a wooden cross and they chose a holding stone that had love written on it. When the patient was holding these side by side it became a physical reminder of how God knows our suffering from Jesus dying on the cross and the love He has for us is unconditional- carrying us when we feel like we can't go on.

The next patient had been told they would never walk again and they didn't know how to process it. It made me think of how uncomfortable it was for that patient to remain in the moment when probably all they wanted to do was escape it. We spoke about what brought them hope - meaning and purpose. Things to look forward to that could make the current moment more bearable. The where to find help pages in the Good News Bible spoke to them, perhaps to focus in on one emotion and turn to God in that moment.

Another conversation drew on staying in the moment with hope in their hearts as they prepared to make a new start in a care home. I happened to have one of the holding stones with hope written on it and the conversation ended with a reminder to always hold on to (quite literally) hope as we step into the future one small step at a time.

Holding space with another patient meant healing prayers and the giving of a small wooden cross. They said that the moment had brought such a blessing to them and they knew they were being looked after by God. Not just in the good times, but also in the bad. Not just in the times when we feel God's presence strongly alongside us, but also in the times where we feel like we are walking alone. We are held and supported in every moment.

Wishing someone a good day, a smile, giving directions, offering help - it is every single present moment that makes a difference. A reminder that life is a constant prayer. The “bless you” received from the car park attendant and one of the patients sustains me in a moment also.

Time taken to listen, to pray, to play music, to engage in what brings meaning and purpose with everyone from the porters, patients, receptionists and medical staff, is so rewarding - not rushing on, but allowing the encounters to unfold throughout the day.

It was a blessing this week to take communion to someone who hadn't received it for a long time, in their moment with God they were brought to tears, tears of happiness and the feeling of being sustained and strengthened by His love, again a reminder of how powerful some moments can be. From beginning to end we are made from a sequence of moments - good and bad, big and small it seems. An end of life visit to a patient with no family or friends made me realise just how important it was for me to be completely immersed in that moment of prayer with them. To bring any comfort and peace I could through music and the end of life prayer ministry.

As the hands and feet of God inside this hospital as part of a team, I really pray that I make the most of each and every moment and visit here.

As I am reminded of what the patient said earlier of “where do I begin?”... we begin in every moment.

As every moment matters. Every moment matters to God. And God meets us in every single moment.

Breath Prayer

2 Corinthians 12:10

Inhale:

When I am weak

Exhale:

Then I am strong

Breath Prayer

Psalm 23:1

Inhale:

The Lord is my shepherd

Exhale:

I have all that I need

Breath Prayer

Isaiah 40:31

Inhale:

I trust in the Lord

Exhale:

He renews my strength