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Divine Connection: Secrecy

June 19, 2009 by Leslie  
Filed under Inspiration, feature

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For bone-weary Burbmoms who need to recollect themselves and reconnect with the Divine.

Shhhhh…This week’s encouragement is to practice the spiritual discipline of Secrecy.

I’m writing this hunkered down in the back of an unmarked car, in a parking lot in the middle of Plano. (Well, I’m just waiting for Ryan to get out of gymnastics.) But still, it reminds me of when I was a kid and I naturally developed the practice of secrecy.
secrecy-feature

Remember when you were a kid and you made a secret hideout? Maybe you discovered a covert perch in the canopy of a tree, or an enclosed space in a thicket of bushes. Perhaps you created a secret place by hanging a blanket over a bunk bed, or arranging boxes in the attic so they formed a secluded niche. Take a moment to remember one of your secret places and recall its details. Put your senses there and recall what you see, hear, touch, smell and taste in that space. Who or what did you have with you there? What did you do there? What did you think about?
Themes common to most childhood secret places include a sense of secrecy, being hidden, safety, protection, adventure and mystery. Do you have a space that offers these qualities now?
Jesus demonstrated a practice of secrecy, often telling disciples not to speak of the miracles he performed (Mark 1:44, 9:9, Luke 8:56).  He admired the widow who quietly gave all she had to the collection jar. He counseled us to give and do good deeds in a manner that wouldn’t have the right hand know what the left hand was doing. And he said that when you pray, “go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
Secrecy, and secret space in particular, matter to God. The tabernacle is described as having three types of spaces:
1. Public Space: “The Court”, where the tribes of Israel gathered to worship God
2. Private Space: “The Holy Place”, where just the priests performed daily rituals
3. Intimate Space: “The Holy of Holies”, where the high priest entered into the presence of God alone
This says something of boundaries. We need all three types of spaces in our lives but often we lack intimate spaces where we can quiet our minds and reconnect with God. It is a space that, like your childhood secret place, allows you to be your true self and connects you to something larger than yourself. It is the place where you send and receive secret correspondence with God.
This need may be served by a prayer room or chapel in your home, an area of a room like a window seat or breakfast nook, a corner of a closet, or even something temporary and portable like a journal or binder. In any case, secrecy may be practiced by giving loving attention to God in a secret place.
If you already have such a place set apart then this week you might consider updating the images you have there or including another sacred object, or simplifying the space to one sacred object for a season.
Other ways to practice secrecy include:
1. Be a “Secret Pal” and secretly leave a gift or an affirming note for someone
2. Anonymous acts of service
3. Not saying all you know…Love does cover a multitude of sins
4. Celebrating the success or accomplishment of another without mentioning your own successes or failures to shift focus to you
5. Keep the confidences and secrets others share with you
When you practice secrecy as a spiritual discipline it transforms you into a safe place for others to share their secrets, and it creates sacred space for you to make a Divine Connection.
God’s Peace,
Leslie Stewart
www.godlanguage.com

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Divine Connection:Self-Care

May 18, 2009 by Leslie  
Filed under Inspiration

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Divine Connection: For bone-weary Burbmoms who need to recollect themselves and reconnect to the Divine.

The prophetic weatherman made a shocking statement in his forecast this morning. He told an area of the country not to be concerned about a rather productive weather pattern heading it’s way, “because it is outrunning its energy source and is about to disintigrate.” Does that describe what happens to you every summer as you pack your schedule with family visits and as many entertaining activities as can be found? Is your current daily routine (where you frequently get to direct your own attention) about to be abandoned until the end of August?

I’m going to be very honest here: I love my family but the summer exhausts me! And I know I’m not alone in that. Around the end of July I’ll catch the sideways glance of a frazzled, Starbucks-slurping mom as we pass in Walmart. I’ll tap my watch and thus wordlessly offer the encouragement to hang in there a few more weeks when we can get some much needed alone time.  Usually I end the summer much like the weather pattern was described: formerly productive, fast-moving but outrunning my energy source and disintegrating. Well Sister, don’t outrun your energy source this year! Schedule time to make a Divine Connection!

If you want to end the summer as integrated and whole as you began it, you’re going to need two things: a commitment and a plan.  Make self-care an important priority and commit to do something for yourself daily, whether that’s taking time to workout, go for a walk around the block, sit quietly with your thoughts and prayers for an hour each morning, or getting a night out with the girls each week. It isn’t a “nicety” it’s a necessity that keeps us connected to ourselves and to God. Before I can truly raise my attention to God, I need to “recollect” myself…to literally recollect my senses from “out there” to the “in here” where me and God live. Remember, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit so glorify God in your body. (1 Cor 6:19,20)  We are to have a healthy respect for our mortal bodies. As one Christian prayer puts it:

“Oh holy God, in the incarnation of Your Son our Lord, You made our flesh the instrument of Your self-revelation.”

So, I’m setting an incentive and goal to ensure I stay balanced this summer. I will actually write down on my daily appointment calendar, time for me each day. I’m going to make my plan now about how to arrange my schedule around that time. For example: I’ve signed my son up for music camp and lessons one day per week. I’ll use that for some time alone to read and reflect. I’m holding back $5 from each grocery store visit and putting that in my self-care fund. I’ll trade off babysitting days with a girlfriend so we can each get a spa day.  I’ve heard wonderful reviews of Zenity Spa in Allen and I’m going to call and schedule an appointment at the end of July. Check out their spa packages at www.zenityspa.com. (I figure Queen Esther had beauty treatments every day for a year, at the very least I can do one day this summer!)

You can do this but you need to start planning now. Here are some questions for critical reflection: What do you really need to maintain a healthy balance between taking care of others and taking care of yourself? Who can you ask for help? What resources do you have that enable you to take time for yourself? What resources does my church offer…i.e. childcare during bible study? Are you overcommitted? Are you suffering from perfect mom idealism and setting expectations too high for this summer? What do you think are life’s greatest simple pleasures? What activities give you comfort and joy? What do your children need to know about self-care…and would that enable you to have more time?

Take care of yourself, and may it be well with your soul!

God’s Peace,

Leslie Stewart

www.godlanguage.com

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