Christian Mindfulness at Lent

Considering that I just discovered that I booked my annual Florida Keys vacation with the hotel on one week and the air travel on the next, I'm not sure I should be writing about Christian mindfulness today.  But all is fixed ... at a price ... and I promise to pay more attention the next time. Paying attention is just about everything there is to say about mindfulness. As I move forward, I want to enjoy this Lent as a time to grow intentionally closer to God and to ask for the grace of contentment.

One way I do so is to replace my regular reading material with spiritual books.  This time they are:

"The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection: My copy was given to me in the 1977 by a fellow journalist in Tupelo, MS. I've read and re-read it. In my 20s, I was disappointed with the content. Today, nearly 40 years later, I ponder its words in wonder and hope.  It is the central text for Christian mindfulness.

"Motherhood and God" by Margaret Hebblethwaite:  My yellowed paperback copy is from 1984.  The first line:  "This book is about finding God in motherhood, and finding motherhood in God."  I found it profound while dealing with my two-year-old daughter.  Today, I know more than ever that I found God in motherhood, and I am eager to see if it holds up.  After all, I've shuffled this book across the country from house to house.  Yet this is the first time I am revisiting it in 31 years.

"Both-And: Living the Christ-Centered Life in an Either-Or World" by Rich Nathan with Insoo Kim:  Both Rich and Insoo are pastors at my church.  This book describes what that church is all about.  Better read it.

That's my first step in a mindful Lent. May yours be peaceful and inspiring. 

The Day Begins

Perhaps it would be a good idea, fantastic as it sounds, to muffle every telephone, stop every motor and halt activity for an hour someday to give people a change to ponder for a few minutes on what it is all about, why they are living and what they really want. 

- James Truslow Adams

Is there anything better than Sunday afternoon in the three-day weekend?  Perhaps there is an hour to ponder about life, to think about what you really want and to prioritize. 

Even organization books call on you to list your top priorities and then evaluate your schedule against them. So what does the day look like if your top priority is to be conscious of the presence of God moment by moment?  It involves staying in the moment, step by step.  But without handrails, my steps would soon go off course. 

The intention to stay on course was undoubtedly the inspiration for the Liturgy of the Hours and other forms of monastic scheduling. I have adapted some of the ideas behind this to help me stay on course.  

It starts in the morning. When I awake, I do reach out to the Lord and remind myself that "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."  I wake early because we do 20 to 30 minutes of centering prayer followed by reading aloud from both the Old and New Testaments.  I pray over my schedule and take a moment to write a sentence or two in my prayer journal.  On days when we are able, I prepare a tranquil breakfast with love and we share it. 

The day begins.

Letting Go

"I let go of everything and everybody that is no longer part of God's plan for me.  I forgive and move forward with the light of God guiding me.  I release negativity.  I have all the energy I need to live my life's purpose. I have all the energy I need for myself and my family."

I wrote this quote down years ... maybe even, decades ... ago.  It's part of a series called "Mirror God."  That may sound pretentious, but it fits with my life purpose.  As you may know, many years ago I asked God to show me my life purpose.  What I saw was a lighthouse.  A lighthouse is most important when it's storming.  It shines a light to guide and stays steady.  A lighthouse does not go out into the sea, pick up the ships and bring them back to the shore. It shines a light.

Being willing to let go of things that are not God's plan has been costly.  I've let go of everything from Real Housewives to Catholicism.  I need to focus more on choosing to be happy and, if God's grace permits, holy.  If I do so mindfully, I will have the energy I need.

Simply Frozen

It's coming.  You can see the deep purple on the Weather Channel map.  Cold is coming.

Trying to take a mindful Christian approach to this is impacting me three ways:

1. Lots of prayer that it won't be so cold so I can get to work without being afraid.
2. Trying to observe the beauty of winter:  the clear night sky filled with stars, the white mounds of snow.
3. Working to keep my own natural irritability about winter inside so I'm not as snappy as the wind.

It's a good time to hibernate, but I don't get to.  I have a meeting this afternoon, and lots tomorrow and Tuesday.  So I need to stay focused on keeping my inner peace.  Here's hoping.