“Every time I hear this song, I think about God,” she said.

We were having a conversation about how different pop songs evoke spiritual themes. Soon the conversation branched out from music to movies, family time, and other things altogether.

“I guess we shouldn’t be surprised,” I added, “since the whole idea of Jesus is that God is incarnate, always showing up in tangible ways.”

Our conversation reminded me of a the Celtic concept of "thin places." Thin places are those moments and locations when heaven brushes up against earth, and eternity reveals itself. Sometimes, we stumble upon them unaware, other times we seek to create them in prayer or worship. Thin spaces remind us that the divide between holy and ordinary may not be as rigid as we believe.

The first thin place I recall experiencing was at a Candlelight Christmas Eve service. I was home from college for the holidays and after dinner on Christmas Eve, Mom, Dad, my brothers and I went to our church for the service. As we stood in a circle around the sanctuary holding our candles, I felt LOVE envelop me. It wasn't just a warm, fuzzy feeling, it was profound. I felt like if I turned around I would see Jesus right behind me. I wanted to peek, but more so, I didn't want to move for fear of losing the moment.

I recall another time when hubby and I drove down to Florida in mid-October. As we drove across the mountains of Tennessee, we gasped as beautiful scene after beautiful scene revealed itself. It was so beautiful, and kinda felt like God was showing off a little.

I don't know if "thick places" are a thing, but I feel like I've experienced some of those, too. I've gone through times when I felt like God had forgotten me altogether, and in the darkest days I have even wondered if God was real at all, and if I deserved any bit of holiness in my life.

During those dark days, I cling to the many memories of the thin places. They remind me that God is never far away, even when it feels like heaven and earth have drifted apart. When I can’t see or sense that presence, I return to those memories of the candlelight, the mountain air, and the love that wrapped around me. They help me remember that what feels far is often near, waiting for me to notice.

My wish for you this week is that you find yourself in a thin place, or perhaps recognize that you’re already in one. May you pause long enough to feel the sacred brush against the ordinary, and when life feels heavy or the world seems dim, may the memory of those moments remind you that love is never absent, only waiting to be seen again. May your eyes be open, your spirit attuned, and your heart soft enough to notice that heaven is never as far away as it feels. That's the fiLLLed life.

Live a fiLLLed life, Melissa ​