Where does God dwell in our lives? A Spiritual Director or Spiritual Companion, as they are sometimes called, can help us to notice.
God is always active in our lives, but do we pay attention to God's presence?
Too often, the myriad of demands from the outside world overshadow the demands of our interior world. The soul longs to be free. God longs for our souls.
The soul is shy, at first. For many people, it must be coaxed out into the open. Parker J. Palmer describes the soul as a "wild animal." In his book, A Hidden Wholeness - The Journey Towards an Undivided Life, Palmer says, " Like a wild animal, the soul is tough, resilient, resourceful, savvy, and self-sufficient: it knows how to survive in tough places." He reminds us wild animals hide in dense underbrush and if you want to see a wild animal you must be patient and quiet. That is why prayer and meditation are good for the soul. It helps us to be patient and quiet.
Prayer and meditation can take on many forms. Prayer is conversation with God. A walk in nature praising God is prayer. Complaining to God about an irritable boss and wondering what to do about it is prayer. Saying the Our Father is prayer. All are acceptable to God as long as you are present to the conversation.
Meditation in the Christian faith is a focusing technique.
One empties the mind to focus on an aspect of God, on a Bible passage, on a poem or reading that takes us closer to God through use of the imagination. Unlike most meditation that calls for an emptying of the mind, Christian meditation calls us to use all of our senses and imagination to delve into the depths of God’s message to us.
Sit and be still for a few moments now. Allow your soul to appear. Get to know it and yourself a little better.
Blessings and light,
Joan
