Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. ~Psalm 37:7
The Lenten 40, Day 4
Yesterday morning I relaxed in sacred silence with the Lord. In the afternoon, I washed the windows.
Not all of them, mind you – only those that we look through most often, in the main areas of the house.
I had the best intentions of accomplishing this task during the summer – but life got in the way. When fall and early winter rolled around, my lame excuses and procrastination squelched my ambition.
But…on a drop-dead gorgeous blue-sky Santa Fe day, the warm sunshine beckoned. And, I longed for the end of our dusty views.
Out I ventured, rags, bucket and ladder close at hand. Dip, rinse, wipe, dry – a soothing rhythm, with a sparkle shine finish.
I love the metaphor of washing windows, the vanishing dirt giving way to unimpaired vision. Nothing remains to hide what is real and true, no more smudging the beautiful vista of God’s earth.
As I worked, I found myself in a state of gratefulness – for the crisp, clean air, the brilliant light, for the fact that doing the job didn’t overtax me. God felt very close.
Prayer comes in many forms. While in Centering Prayer we experience stillness and quiet while inviting God in, we can also offer prayers while doing just about anything. And we don’t even have to say or think something specific.
In today’s devotional, Muyskens says, We can trust God to form the words in us when we pray. We can trust God to give us the deep desires of our heart that are consistent with the divine will (emphasis mine). Without language we can allow the Spirit to pray in us.
“The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” ~Romans 8:26
He continues: God knows our needs. In prayer our hearts join with every desire in God’s heart for us and for our world. In Centering Prayer this happens in silence without words. In other times of prayer we put words to our needs as the Spirit makes us aware of them.
Today I encourage you to pray in any way shape or form you see fit. Be creative! And God, as only He can do, will gently wash away those silt deposits in our souls that are clouding what He wants us to see.
Today’s Lectio: Psalm 37:1-7
My Word -TRUST My Phrase – WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM
(And in the meantime, keeping up on a few chores isn’t such a bad idea.)
beWARM 
“Enjoy” is my word today….God has blessed me with means, time, & health to enjoy my desires..the problem is me…the sense of guilt and duty have robbed me of the freedom to enjoy…today, I am practicing letting go and accepting God’s gifts to enjoy…
Dear God, help me to wait!
Wow, I couldn’t read this without thinking about what y’all are doing in Colombia right now (two years after you wrote this).
“I love the metaphor of washing windows, the vanishing dirt giving way to unimpaired vision. Nothing remains to hide what is real and true, no more smudging the beautiful vista of God’s earth…God felt very close”
I’m praying that as these hundreds of people receive better vision, they too will see and know what is Real and True and feel how close God is to them. xoxo