Find Your “Thin Places”

Find Your “Thin Places”

A thin place is a holy space where you encounter God’s presence. It’s a place where the boundary between heaven and earth is especially thin. No one really knows where the term originated, but I’ve heard it said that the first time it was uttered, it almost certainly was spoken with an Irish brogue. Celtic (kel-tik) Christians used the term as early as the fifth century. Where are your thin places? For me, it’s the overstuffed chair in our family room. In the early morning light before anyone else awakens, I sit there most days with my Bible and a notebook. My morning ritual is to read from the One Year Bible and a devotional book and write my prayers in my journal, including prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication.

I also love our back yard. Several years ago, we planted tropical floras that grow well in the California sunshine. On any given day, that scene can be a thin place. There is a walk in Kapalua, Maui, and another one in Cannon Beach, Oregon that have become thin places for me. I also remember a time sitting quietly by myself in the garden of Gethsemane when I had a thin-place moment. Those are a few of my thin places. Obviously, you don’t have to travel to exotic places or holy spots to find your thin place. It’s more about searching for it and finding it often by surprise in a moment when your soul is invigorated. Reflect for a moment on where you find your thin places and consider what is special about them.