the many moments.

I woke up last Friday thinking about the often fine line between celebration & mourning, happiness & sadness, how one event can so quickly transform our demeanor and emotions from positive to negative or negative to positive. A simple 'yes' or word of acceptance can bring forth such joy and warmth, whereas a well-placed 'no' can bring the world screeching to a halt.

Isn't it interesting how we often place such significance on a single moment, when realistically it isn't one moment that matters, but many moments. It is the combination of situations (as opposed to one isolated situation) that culminates in an opportunity being presented or denied.

I think the same is true of change, or possibly better said: transformation. I've heard my friend Rustin speak of transformation in terms of 'trading up your vices.' I used to steal Lexus' but now I only steal Toyota's! Though ridiculous examples can be used, I think this is an important principle. Transformation isn't so much about getting lucky and performing rightly in the moment, but about slowly becoming the sort of person who does right things naturally.

As Dallas Willard says in his Renovation of the Heart:

Truly becoming one who wills above all to act with the kingdom of God and to have his kind of goodness (Matthew 6:33) will not happen overnight. But upon a path of clear intention and decisions, with appropriate spiritual disciplines and accompanying grace to illumine and correct us when we fail, it is not as far away as many would suppose.