A mountain moves toward me white and gray, filled with rain suddenly a flash of light one thousand one one thousand two one thousand three one thousand four one thousand five, Boom, Crash five miles, the storm is five … Continue reading
Quiet, I sit in my small boat
Alone, I wait
Purple and gold sky
A sea dark and still
Alone, I wait
Ruth Jewell, ©March 1, 2013
Refuge
All surrounding Spirit,
just as we are, we come to praise your name.
We bring before you all that we are,
the good,
the not so good,
and the things we’d rather not talk about.
We come knowing you will forgive us,
showering us with your grace and love.
As children in the faith we come
with hurts to be healed
and as adult partners in creation we come
to offer our gifts for the growth of the Kingdom.
As children we long for your arms for comfort
and as adults we search for your face to be renewed in our efforts to grow stronger in our faith
and when we come in truth we are never disappointed in what we seek.
Our prayer is to be steady on the path that leads to truth,
forgiveness of others and for ourselves,
humbly laying at your feet
our love in the Spirit.
Amen.
Ruth Jewell ©August 12, 2012
The life of faith looks like a mother bird brooding her eggs and waiting expectantly for them to hatch. For all we know, the mother bird has moments when it seems like nothing is happening. There are moments when real boredom sets in and the temptation to leave the eggs and do something more interesting arises. (Mary C. Earle; The Desert Mothers, Spiritual Practices from the Women of the Wilderness, Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, NY, 2007, pg 22)
This week with all the snow and my inability to get out and about has reminded me of Amma Syncletica’s story. Here I am “stuck” in the house and brooding about when this stuff will melt. Amma Syncletica would tell me this is an opportunity to sit and listen for a word from God and I’m sure she would say quit wasting your opportunities!
Two of the most frequently asked questions about spiritual practices are “how do I quiet my mind and how do I stop fidgeting? These two questions are as old as meditation itself and all spiritual practices, and the only answer I’ve ever heard for either of them is to “there is no right way to do this except practice, keep doing them until you discover for yourself that which draws you into your deepest being.” My problem with this answer is it’s so vague, it could mean anything, but I also know that it is true and right. The only way to become proficient at any Spiritual Practice is to “practice” that’s why it’s called a practice.
In the last 4 days I have sat and quieted my mind and stilled my heart but suddenly I am remembering something I have to do, only I can’t because I can’t get to where I need to be. Such moments in our lives are sources of frustration and are filled with “have to’s” and need to’s.” I have been, we have been, given the opportunity to slow down and listen, for that quiet word of the Spirit being whispered to us every day, but too busy to listen for, rather than the lists in our heads.
Yes being still is a problem, especially when you have an active family, or a job that provides our families with the things we use to survive. If you only take 5 or 10 minutes out of your day to sit and stare out the window at the white wonderland, over a cup of steaming coffee or tea, letting the days troubles take care of themselves for a few moments, you will find you are more centered within and able to cope. Don’t worry about mental intrusions, acknowledge them and let them go, let the stillness of the winter’s day, enter into your life for just a moment. It might take a few days, and for some of us a few weeks, to get to that still point, but when you do you may just hear the whisper of the Spirit.
Peace and Blessings to you all
©Ruth Jewell, January 20, 2012
