WEEK 178

God, what is your guidance for me today?

Today,

take some time to organize.

Clean out what has become cluttered…

and make space.

This is not only good stewardship of

materials and possessions, 

it is also a discipline 

of the spiritual path.

It is a form of contemplation and prayer.

It is spiritual breathing;

paying attention to the in and out

of the things that we accumulate.

It is a way of making sure we are not

owned by the things we own,

and of considering their continued usefulness

to us.

Do this today as you can…

as an offering, 

and as a gift to yourself,

knowing that in the doing you are

also making space for divinity to

inhabit the room you are creating…

filling it with peace, 

clarity, 

and stillness…

inviting God to be ever more Present 

with you.

 

Evening Reflection 

After receiving the guidance, I had to see when I could do some spiritual breathing amongst the other things calling me. At noon, I was able to look at what I might tackle. 

Fourteen and a half hours later… I decided to pause! 

That’s right. I kept cleaning out old energy; papers, books, clothes, office supplies… and one thing led to another. Well, wait. I did stop to eat dinner for half an hour, then got right back to it.

It is amazing how we can accumulate. 

For most of the time I was doing this ritual, I did it in silence. No music. 

Did it feel like and offering? Yes. 

Prayer? Yes! 

In reality, it felt like a sacrament. Every move was like a part of a liturgy. Taking stock of things was the Prelude. Beginning to move things was like a choir singing. Stopping to assess was like the Scripture Reading. Organizing my taxes was surely the Sermon! Beginning to feel good about it all was the Offering… and stopping was the Benediction. 

Actually, writing this evening response at 2:30am IS the benediction to a long, long service. 

But as they say, time flies when you’re having fun. It also flies when you’re contemplating – which I was. Toward the end of this ‘service’, I played rainstorm sounds through my surround sound system. It was then that I realized that it was not a coincidence. Rain cleans the air… and that is what I just spent all day and night doing… cleaning the air of my life. 

And I am breathing easier. 

I hope you are as well.