A man came up to me while talking on his cellphone. He was using earbuds and said “un segundo” as he pulled one from his ear and let it drop. I was amused - he had put his conversation partner on hold while he asked for a blessing. After our brief encounter, he picked right back up with his call as he continued on his way. He’d assumed that receiving a blessing would only take “one second,” and he was right. It only takes a second to form a connection with someone. It only takes second to shut out the rest of the world and give God a moment of our undivided attention. It only takes a second to remember that the Holy Spirit is swirling around us, closer than a whisper. The writer Anne Lamott identifies the three essential prayers as “help,” “thanks” and “wow.” Which of these might you offer to God right now? It only takes a second.
