“…I already had everything I needed. Within me, God resides. Within me, God dwells. At any moment and at any time, I can access this interior space.” (page 12)
As I consider creating space for God in my life I consider two different ways to do this: first an intentional time set aside and second an invitation to God throughout the events of the day.
So the first, an intentional time set aside. I consider this like a date night with your spouse, that time intentionally set aside to talk and go deeper than you can in the hustle and bustle of daily interactions. One of the blessings of living by myself is that I can intentionally carve out time and space for God and I each day. I know this is much more difficult when you add in a spouse, a child or two, and even pets. I will say that even as a person who lives alone I have to be intentional in how I make space for this time with God. Every morning I am up around 5 or 6 and spend an hour with God before the rest of my day begins, otherwise it’s too easy to make excuses later in the day. So, my alarm goes off, I may or may not push snooze, I get coffee and go to my “prayer chair.” There I have my Bible, my current book I am working through (The Gift of Spiritual Intimacy), and my journal. There are many other potential resources right there in arms reach, but these are the ones I usually use. I set a timer for one hour and begin. This is how God and I start the day together. This is my routine. This works for me, for now.
The real question is what works for you?
The second way of creating space for God is within the everyday moments. The author does an amazing job explaining thin spaces, the prayer of consideration and the need for the support of those in your home. Just as date nights are important to a relationship, the everyday moments and inviting your spouse or significant other into them are just as important.
How often do you have a moment in the day when you see God at work? Some of the most significant for me are when I’m outside on a run and I see something that takes my breath away – deer, a rainbow, stars – it is God saying hello. I pause – physically or mentally – to acknowledge God in this moment. Nature is a great place to notice and experience God. When I am paying attention I can notice God in many more spaces and places – in a word or phrase that I read or hear, in a moment with another person, in a message sent to encourage me, in a nudge to reach out to another – and all that I can think is “thank you God!”
Where do you see God in the busy-ness of daily life? How do you invite Him in daily?
Your relationship with God will not look the same as my relationship with Him. How you connect with God is right for you. The more we connect with Him, the more we can hear His voice in our every day. Start small - we just completed the 30-day Kick start for the 1% challenge - 15 minutes of your day is a great place to begin! In order to create space for God begin by considering the where, when and what - where you can do this, when it may work the best and what do you need.
Prayerfully consider how you will intentionally invite God in each day.
Patty Mayer, Director of Adult Faith Formation
My reflections based on the book: “Busy Lives & Restless Souls: How Prayer Can Help You Find the Missing Peace in Your Life” by Becky Eldredge given out to OLIH parishioners at Christmas 2018