beWARM

Abide in me as I abide in you. ~ John 15:4

The Lenten 40, Day 6

It doesn’t take God too long to get down to the nitty gritty. I guess He thinks that, after all these days of feeling so comfortable in His presence, it’s time to give me a reality check.

He could have easily thrown me a few zingers, knocking me for a loop.  Rather, He ever so gently reminds me of where I need improvement.

And as He does so, I see those things I have tried to sweep into a corner.

I thought this Centering Prayer was to be all sweetness and light. But…I did commit to this undertaking…so I must heed God’s message.

Basically, He has shown me how I get caught up in my own orbit, spending time and energy fretting about the issues of the moment which take center stage, and putting Him in the background.

The words of Oswald Chambers hit home today:

We need to rely on the resurrection life of  Jesus much deeper down than we do, getting into the habit of steadily referring everything back to Him; instead of this we make our common-sense decisions and ask God to bless them.

If my vernacular revolves around living in alignment with the Lord, my energies and focus should always be in His direction.  And distress and dismay would fade into the distance, being replaced by hope and certainty.

Sounds easy enough – and yet, the challenge is continual.

In today’s time of centering prayer, Muyskens suggests the use of a word that says, “I open my heart to your love.”   With the gift of receiving God’s love comes the invitation to extend it to others.

Thank you Lord, for the gift of your attention. Help me to keep you as my primary focus.

Today’s Lectio: John 15:1-5

My Word – TRUE   My Phrase – Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Be still and know that I am God! ~Psalm 46:10

The Lenten 40, Day 5

Keep your focus on My Presence in the present.  ~ From Jesus Calling, February 27, by Sarah Young

Be still….that phrase echoes repeatedly in my mind…almost as if it is a broken record.

God is really making His point today!

He challenges us to rethink our idea of tranquility and silence; His idea of being still is  the emptying of our minds.

…So He can fill them.

My thoughts in between the blank spaces:

Be still….

And know…

Be still and know Me…

Know peace in My Presence…

Know refreshment and rest in the quiet…

Still the thoughts of all that turn you away from Me…

Be with Me…

Just be….

Today’s Lectio:  Psalm 46

My Word:  Refuge   My Phrase: God is our Refuge and Strength

Thank you, Lord for the gift of stillness in Your Presence!

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.)

The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord. ~ Proverbs 20:27

The Lenten 40, Day 3

I so love this Scripture reference.  It immediately reminds me of the beautiful hearts of the villagers in Peren Town, Nagaland, India, whom we served for 2 weeks on a medical mission.  Their love for the Lord was such an inspiration; the post All is Welling is about them.

God’s love burned brightly in the heart of our dear Margaret, who is finally – and thankfully – cancer-free, and in heaven, resting peacefully. During Margaret’s long battle with cancer, visitors would come away feeling uplifted by her valiant spirit and unflagging faith, when their intentions were to bring her a bit of cheer.  Her inspiring spirit will be missed by many.

Today Muyskens speaks of the pilot light that is implanted in each of us – gifted by God, connecting us to the Holy Spirit.

Imagine every person you see with that little flame alight in their hearts, just waiting for the spark that will increase the power to a full burn. The thought that God lives within each and every one of us, just waiting for us to fully receive Him, warms my heart.

Quoting from the book, Muyskens says the following:

Prayer expresses our willingness to have the flame within rekindled.  The quiet time allows the inner flame to burn brightly and transform us.  In Centering Prayer we let go of everything and choose a word that expresses our consent to God’s presence and action within us. As thoughts draw us away from communion with God, we return to that prayer word as a way of turning again to God.  Using that word we stay with our desire to receive the loving presence and healing action of Christ.  We disregard thoughts that can hinder the fire within. We allow the love of Christ to burn away the resistance and obstacles to communion with God. We are purged of desires that so often draw us away from God.

Have you ever felt the intensity of God’s love within – or is your pilot light still waiting for the heat to be turned up?

I encourage you to take time each day for Centering Prayer. The love of God which will be set aflame may very well spark the pilot light of someone else in your life.

Today’s Lectio: Acts 2:1-4

My Word –  FILLED             My Phrase – FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

At Pentecost, God appeared in a spectacular way – through violent wind, tongues of fire, and an earthquake.  He isn’t always so dramatic with us, but He does make His voice known, if we just pay attention.  Sometimes He barely whispers to make His point. I pray that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be so attuned to God that we will be aware of the smallest nuances of His messages – and that our inner flames will grow into bonfires of love for Him, whose love is immeasurable.

Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. ~ Matthew 28:20

The Lenten 40, Day  2

How many times have you said to someone, “Stop over anytime!” …and feel so comfortable saying so, wanting your home to be a welcoming place.

Then you get the call – or the knock at the door – and that casual but unexpected visitor(s) arrives.  Yikes!  We start the scramble of tidying up; often this entails just shoving stuff into drawers and closets willy-nilly, just to get the clutter out of sight.

When your home is relatively “together” in time for the guests to enter, you heave a sigh of relief, the  messiness of normal life carefully concealed.

Lent is about inviting Christ in – to our minds and hearts – as we desire a deeper relationship with Him.

What kind of environment do we offer Him?  And where do we hide our “messes”?

Today’s devotional talks about a 98 year old woman named Elfreida, who lived in a somewhat drab room with 3 other women in a senior care facility. Muyskens describes her as one of the happiest people he has ever known, namely because “the presence of Christ gave her joy despite her meager circumstances.”

Today I ask myself these questions: how can I better create a welcoming inner environment to gladly receive the presence of God? And how do I clean up the detritus of my failings so He will comfortably stay a while? And can I truly learn to be joyful no matter what challenges are before me?

The fact is, God is indwelling – and as much as we try, we can’t hide anything from Him. We need to feel the warmth of His presence, accept His unconditional love , and allow this inner transformation to proceed.

The more we sit in quiet prayer with Him, the greater awareness we have of Christ’s presence in every one of our life circumstances.

He is the Ultimate Guest  – let’s offer Him an open invitation into our hearts…and let our joyful spirits prevail.

Today’s Lectio – Matthew 28:16-20

My Word – WITH  My Phrase – WITH YOU ALWAYS

Christ dwells within, always and forever.  That thought alone brings peace and hope beyond compare.

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