Natural rhythms
I think we have a lot of natural rhythms in our lives that we aren't aware of until they are thrown into chaos. Take this weekend, for instance. Like most weekends, I planned to catch up on cleaning the dirty dishes in the sink, doing several loads of laundry, making up some food to bring for lunches for this week. And my main plumbing line in the basement got clogged. No amount of Drano and work with my plunger could budge it. There was standing water in all of my sinks. It was a huge mess. My normal weekend routine was totally out of wack! And I like my routines! There is comfort in their consistency. So now it is Monday afternoon, my sink is still full of dirty dishes, I have piles of dirty clothes, and I have been thanking God all morning for the two roto rooter guys who came over and fixed the big mess so I can try to get back to my normal routine!
I've created a routine for my prayer time, too. If it isn't part of a routine, I find that it easily slips away and in the busy-ness of life, I don't do it. When I come into work each morning, I keep my door closed for the first 15 minutes (sometimes more), and I pray and read the scriptures BEFORE I even turn my computer on or check my phone messages. Because once I go to the computer or the phone, my head is spinning with things to do and God gets squeezed out of thoughts as I make way for the to-do list.
I'm looking forward this week to trying the individual exercise around creating a sacred space within my home. I have a space in mind in my guest bedroom, but I have no idea which time of day will work best for doing it. I will hopefully have a better idea by the end of this week!
Where do you have space to be alone with God? How can you make this space part of your natural, daily rhythm?
-Melanie
I've created a routine for my prayer time, too. If it isn't part of a routine, I find that it easily slips away and in the busy-ness of life, I don't do it. When I come into work each morning, I keep my door closed for the first 15 minutes (sometimes more), and I pray and read the scriptures BEFORE I even turn my computer on or check my phone messages. Because once I go to the computer or the phone, my head is spinning with things to do and God gets squeezed out of thoughts as I make way for the to-do list.
I'm looking forward this week to trying the individual exercise around creating a sacred space within my home. I have a space in mind in my guest bedroom, but I have no idea which time of day will work best for doing it. I will hopefully have a better idea by the end of this week!
Where do you have space to be alone with God? How can you make this space part of your natural, daily rhythm?
-Melanie
posted by Melanie at 2:47 PM
1 Comments:
I, too, have found that it is all too easy for God to take a back seat to the "to do list" of any given day. I had decided that I wanted my time of quiet, however, and was committed to making that time happen. but i found that if I do not get quiet before God in the morning, before i do my hair, before i get out of my robe, before i turn on the radio to listen to Dave Ryan and Cory Folley, that God may not get 15 minutes of quiet.
I have tried to squeeze it in at night when i realize that somehow the day got past me without my silent moments, but all too often when i quiet my heart at night, God gets a little less than 15 minutes because i begin to fade into dream world. (It's amazing how long fifteen minutes can be when you are fighting to stay awake.) So, I am trying this morning routine, which is tough for me because I am not a morning person. But i know that I make time for the things i care about in my life, so this must be a priority. All the while, I'm giving myself some wiggle room because I know that early morning is a challenge and i don't want to feel guilty. You know the song "God of wonders"? There is a verse in that song that claims, "early in the morning, i will celebrate your light"...i find that i often sit closed mouth during that verse because i can't think of many mornings where i have "Celebrated" anything. But there is something refreshing and intriguing about being quiet with God in the mornings, so I continue on in my Lenten journey with hope for a new "routine".
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