Finding Thin Moments: A Reflection on Everyday Grace

On this heartfelt episode of To Be snd Do, Phil Amerson invites us into a quiet yet profound moment from his everyday life, guiding listeners to become more alert to the subtle intersections of the sacred in the seemingly mundane. This short reflection, rooted in a chance encounter on Walnut Street, is a gentle reminder that what many spiritual traditions call "thin moments" — those rare times when the distance between the ordinary and the divine feels especially slight — can happen when we least expect them.

A Story of Warmth on a Cold Morning

Phil Amerson recounts meeting "Emma," a woman experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges, whom he had seen sleeping beneath layers of blankets on a brisk morning in Bloomington. After his breakfast, he found Emma awake, gathering her things, and speaking with a local shop owner. Bracing for confrontation typically faced by many unhoused neighbors, Phil Amerson was instead moved by compassion in action: the shop owner simply asked Emma if she would prefer coffee or hot chocolate.

This small act of kindness became a “thin moment” — a flash of grace where, as Phil Amerson describes, God's presence and mercies become visible in, and through, ordinary people and actions.

Three Key Takeaways from the Episode

1. Thin Moments Are Everywhere, If We Notice
2. Phil Amerson introduces and demystifies the notion of "thin moments," times when the sacred pierces through the everyday. He reminds us that these are not reserved for the saints or the spiritually elite, but can sneak up on anyone open to seeing grace in action — even over something as simple as a cup of hot chocolate.
3. Small Gestures Hold Profound Meaning
4. The episode challenges listeners not to underestimate small acts of kindness. Drawing from scripture, Phil Amerson parallels the shop owner's offer to Emma with the biblical "cup of cold water" — a symbol of hospitality and care, regardless of its simplicity. He emphasizes that while grand gestures (like building irrigation systems) are valuable, we should not neglect the power of a single meaningful act.
5. Learn (and Remember) to See the People Around Us
6. The story is a gentle challenge to know — at least by name or presence — the people we often pass by. Phil Amerson candidly shares that he, too, can miss God’s grace at work in day-to-day interactions, but calls listeners to open their eyes and hearts to those around them, especially the most vulnerable in our communities.

In closing, Phil Amerson leaves listeners with a blessing and an encouragement to look out for thin places — and to be present and generous enough to offer a cup of cold water, hot chocolate, or coffee when the opportunity comes. This episode is a timely, gentle nudge to notice—and become—the grace that sustains and warms our world.

May we all, as Phil Amerson says, find and create those thin moments in our days ahead.