Phew! Reached the end of day! It feels like I packed a lot in. In fact, a lot of days feel like that at the moment. Can you relate? We have a house calendar so we know who is in (and how many to cook for) and there are some weeks that I’m not home any evenings because of meetings or rehearsals or other engagements. And work! I do love where I work, but sometimes there is just so much to do!
Why am I saying all this? I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who are busier than me! I’m saying this because when I got home from work today, before heading back out to choir, I sat in my car. I didn’t exactly plan to, but I got home, took the keys out the ignition, and stopped. After a full day, and knowing there was more to be done, it was wonderful to take a moment to just be still. I once read that sitting in your car outside your house is a form of self care. Today, I understood that sentence.
Looking back, I realise I do that more than I realise. Taking a breath before entering a room. Lingering after prayers or meetings. Stopping to watch a sunset or listen to the birds. On the best days, I go to ‘my spot’ and look out over the hills, listening to nature and enjoying the sun. Sometimes only for 10 minutes, but those are 10 precious minutes.
In the bible, again and again, Jesus withdraws to pray and spend time with God. It is from a place of rest and intimacy with God that Jesus does his ministry. I’m not as good at the withdrawing as I could be. But what I can do is allow those moments of pausing within my day, not always pushing on to the next thing. Yes, it is good to get away, and planned retreats are part of a healthy rhythm of life, but within everyday there are opportunities to pause. And the wonderful thing is that God meets us in them, even if we don’t realise it. I love those times in ‘my spot’ because I look at and listen to and feel God’s creation. But even those moments to breath, the lingering steps, the stopping and sitting, God is in them too.
I recently read about a contemplative missionary called Frank Laubach who wrote a book called ‘The Game with Minutes’. I haven’t read the book (yet!) but the premise is he invites the reader into a spiritual practice where they think of God at least 1 second of each minute. I’d love to get better at that, at pausing and intentionally bringing God more into my day. Maybe next time I get home, I won’t be in such a hurry to get out and put the kettle on. Maybe I’ll sit for a moment longer, breathe a little deeper, and remember that God is present — even in the pause.
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