By Lilly Lewin
You may or may not know that I am not a kitchen person. Oh I love a great looking kitchen, but I’m not the cook or the chef. At our house that is my husband Rob’s job. He was a great cook long before he did his bucket list of going to culinary school. Being in the kitchen and preparing food is easy for him. It’s his art and one of his thinplaces. I’m much more comfortable with brushes and paint!
I often tell the story that our kitchen in our Cincinnati house was so bad, and I detested being in it so much, I turned it into my prayer room so I had a way to function in it. ( I put a map of the world one one wall to pray for the world, post it notes on the windows for folks who needed prayer, and a white board near the sink to add prayer requests)
The kitchen is usually the hub of the home. It’s the heart. It tends to be where folks gather during parties no matter how big or small the kitchen is! And if you are a great cook, it really doesn’t matter the size of the kitchen! Our postage stamp kitchen in our cottage in Napa Valley hosted amazing food thanks to Chef Rob!
The Kitchen used to be centered on the hearth, the fireplace. Everyone cooked meals over the fire. In my parent’s house built before the Civil War in the early 1800’s, the original kitchen was in the basement with a large open fire place that was used to cook over each day. The hearth was the heart of the home.
I was thinking about all this after reading and listening to Psalm 84.
What is the Dwelling Place of God like?
When you imagine the dwelling place of God, what to you picture?
Where is it that you like to go or be to feel closest to God?
Would it be the Kitchen? Would Jesus be cooking and would you be listening to his stories? Would God dwell around the hearth?
Can you picture yourself sitting in a comfy chair acroswhs from Jesus having a cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate?
Take some time to imagine what the dwelling place of God looks like for you.
What does the dwelling place of God look like for you?
The Dwelling place of God doesn’t have to be far off from you and me. We know that the Spirit dwells in each of us, but I do believe that we can create spaces where we experience more of God’s presence and peace. Places where we can receive nourishment. Places where we can build and cultivate real relationship with Jesus. That’s creating a thinplace for yourself. A place where the veil between heaven and earth is thin and you feel God’s presence.
Places like front porch swings, hammocks, rocking chairs, the bath tub could all be places where you experience a thinplace.
Sitting outside watching the sunset or looking at the moon and stars are also ways to experience this. Did you see the moon this week?
Verse three talks about the sparrow…Even the sparrow has found a nest. A safe place. A place near your altar.
Do you have a spot to be with Jesus that feel like that? What could you do to create one?
What kind of Nest do you need?
What kind of NEST do you need this week? Talk to Jesus about this.
Maybe you aren’t feeling like you have a nest anymore, or your nest is now empty and feels different. Maybe your safe nest has been rocked by illness, or loss. Perhaps you need to take time to notice this. Perhaps you need to make the time to grieve the loss of your “nest’ or the losses around the safety and security of the nest. Let Jesus dwell with you in this loss and grief.
Remember that birds build new nests every year. And around my neighborhood, the squirrels are busy building nests for the winter. What kind of new NEST do you want to build with Jesus in the coming weeks?
TRY THIS:
We all spend a lot of time in our kitchens …washing dishes, making food etc. This week let’s see this as the dwelling place of God…
Take time to listen as you wash dishes or chop vegetables. What does Jesus want you to notice? Who comes to mind as you wash the dishes or as you unload the dish washer? Take time to pray for these people. And make time to call or text them too.
As you stir the food, what is God stirring in you?
If it’s cold where you are and you have a fire in the fireplace, or if you have a fire pit outside where you can go and sit …allow Jesus to talk with you around the hearth.
Take a walk, look for nests in the trees. Allow the nests to remind you that Jesus wants to be with you and provide you a safe refuge and resting place in him.
This week, Dwell with Jesus and enjoy being with him! Jesus is “The God who loves us with out measure and without regret! Father Greg Boyle
PRAY PSALM 84 together:
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young— a place near your altar,
Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.[c]
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;listen to me, God of Jacob.
9 Look on our shield,[e] O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courtsthan a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
12 Lord Almighty,blessed is the one who trusts in you. AMEN
And if you heart is set on Pilgrimage, Join us on Finding Your Thinplace pilgrimage to Iona Scotland, September 1-9, 2025.
It rained over the weekend, the first soaking rain for a couple of months. As I walked round my garden, breathing in the invigorating aroma of petrichor, I felt as though the thirsty earth rejoiced with me in the refreshment it brought to everything around me. The colours looked more vibrant, the growth more vigourous, and in what had been a dry and dusty lawn, I saw the green sprouts of new life. It amazes me how quickly the earth recovers.
In Inheriting Paradise, Vigan Guiroian likens watering our gardens to baptism. He points out that water is the lifeblood of the garden and of all creation. It is also the element of baptism. He suggests that each time we water the garden we should acknowledge this and recognize that “we tend not only the garden we call nature but also the garden that is ourselves.” I love this analogy. One of the reasons I do much of my watering by hand is because of this reminder that it is a form of baptism and new life. This week I have felt a little as though I am living two lives. My public life of writing and podcasting and sharing from my garden, and my private life of grief and confronting the challenges of aging and numerous medical visits for my husband and myself. In the midst of this, it is often watering the garden that brings renewal and refreshment for me, washing away the stress as I tend to my plants.
Another stress reliever is my rock collection which I wrote about in my Meditation Monday – Rocks of Remembrance. Holding my serpentine rock from Iona in my hand this week as a reminder of God’s faithfulness in good times and in chilling ones was a huge boost to me this week. As I commented, “It is an important part of my prayer life.” My apologies to the paid subscribers who like to listen to the audio version of this post. With everything else on my plate this week I ran out of time to transcribe it.
I am making progress in my book Celtic Advent – Following An Unfamiliar Path Through Advent. On Saturday I posted the meditations for the first week of Celtic Advent, beginning on November 13th so that we have a couple of days to prepare before Advent begins on November 15th. I think I might have overwhelmed a few of you with the length of this post. On this coming Saturday, I will post a shorter section from the second week of reflections. Thank you to those who are reading along with me. I appreciate your feedback which has already resulted in changes to the original manuscript. Don’t worry, I won’t post the revised version. You will have to wait until the book is published in October to read the final version.
Last Wednesday we posted the Liturgical Rebels Episode 14 – Brian Edgar and The God Who Plays. It is obvious that many of you found this episode fascinating. I hope you share it with your friends. I think we all need a more playful view of God and God’s ways of working in our world. Next week we begin a series on Celtic Spirituality. Tom and I will kick off the series with reflections on our own journeys into Celtic spirituality. The upcoming sessions in this series include interviews with Celtic musician Jeff Johnson, theologians Christine Valters Paintner and John Philip Newell and Celtic artist Mary Fleeson. Make sure you tell your friends about this. It will be an inspiring series.
What is it about Celtic Spirituality that is so attractive to me and to so many others today? Why is there a resurgence of interest in this stream of Christian faith that thrived in Britain in the 4th to 8th centuries? Join me on September 14 from 9:30 – 12:30 PDT to find out about bringing the sacred in to wherever you need it. Sign up page will be up on the website soon. Look for an announcement with a link in the next couple of days.
In her Freerange Friday – Bread and Tables, Lilly Lewin reminds us that the gospel is about community, and bread. She asks another of her provocative questions “What have you noticed about bread lately? Is your bread in scarcity or abundance? stale or fresh? daily or only on special occasions? Is this how we view Jesus?” It made me think about the bread I ate this week, what it was like and what it could teach me about Jesus.
More people clicked on links in last week’s Keeping Up With The News than ever which made me realize how much people appreciate the great resources these links lead to so this week I am listing some that apply to the season of creation. The Season of Creation spans five weeks between the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (September 1) and the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi (October 4).. It is observed by a growing number of churches and denominations.
A couple of good sites to check out:
The Season of Creation Bulletin insert.
Season of Creation – has a great new downloadable resource for 2024.
You might also like to check out some of these godspacelight resources:
Simple Ways to Care for Creation – A free download.
My favourite books on care for creation
Holy Ground – a Six Week Course on Creation Care
Native American Prayers for Care of Creation
Let me end with a prayer I wrote this week:
My mind is stuck,
In sweet memories of lost ones,
Thoughts of the past,
And problems I cannot solve.
It is time to rest,
My body seems to say.
Time to take a break,
From the chaos in my mind,
And let the emptiness be filled
With God’s abiding presence,
That healing balm
Comforting and enriching to body mind and soul.
Many blessings,
Christine Sine
by Christine Sine
Have you ever noticed how often the Israelites collected rocks to build cairns as memorials for significant events in their history? Joseph built one after his encounter with God. The whole nation of Israel built one after they crossed the Jordan. Memorials, places to come and and remind us of the faithfulness of God in the past and encourage us to hope for God’s continued faithfulness in the future.
I am also a collector of rocks, inspired by my brother Nick who died recently, so it is not surprising that over the last few days I have pulled out some of my rock collection to reminisce. When we were kids, my brothers and I loved to gather specimens when we went on long road treks over the summer holidays. By the time we returned home, the car seemed weighed down by rocks. And in Australia there are some wonderful rocks to collect – sapphire chips, opals, agates, and even flecks of gold as well as fossils, petrified wood and coal.
In the last few years it is not these precious stones that caught my attention however. Now, like the Israelites, I like to gather rocks that mark significant events and remind me of the journeys I have travelled. Some of them sit in little mounds in glass jars. Others are more prominently displayed as I like to give them names as memorials to remind me of my encounters with God.
I have several from Iona, picked up on the beach on Iona where Columba came ashore. The large serpentine rock I call my rock of faithfulness because when I hold it in my hand I am reminded of all the faithful followers of Christ, like Columba who have gone before me.
I have a limestone rock from the South coast of Australia. It has the fossil of a shell in it. This is my rock of endurance. I am reminded that this shell comes from a creature that lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. It has endured because it was transformed into the limestone rock.
Another rock I picked up on Camano Island north of Seattle. This is my “hold tight” rock. Limpets cling tightly to it reminding me always of the need to cling closely to God.
I even have a rock that I picked up in our backyard – a beautiful specimen of malachite – unexpected because this is not a native rock to the Pacific NW. I call it my rock of unexpected surprises because it reminds me that God often comes to us in unexpected and unanticipated ways.
Probably the rock I have held in my hand most frequently is the one I call my rock of remembrance. It is streaked with veins of dark and light intertwined in an intricate pattern. It is a constant reminder to me that the dark and light sides of life are woven together inextricably. They cannot be separated or the rock would crumble into nothing.
Collecting rocks is an important part of my prayer life. I love to hold a rock in my hand meditating on the part of my faith journey it brings to mind. I often pray in gratitude, in repentance or just in sheer joy at the faithfulness of God.
We are forgetful people.
God understands this far better than we do. God prompted the Israelites repeated to remember their God who rescued them from Egypt and faithfully led them through the wilderness:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do. The tassels will help you remember that you must obey all my commands and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the Lord your God!” (Numbers 15:37-41)
I was never more aware of this than when re-watching the film The Way recently. This powerful and inspirational story stars Martin Sheen who plays Tom, an irascible American doctor coming to France to deal with the tragic loss of his son. He embarks on the historical Camino de Santiago pilgrimage where his son died.
There is a tradition on the camino to bring a stone from home and rub all your fears, hurts and sorrows into the stone which you can place at the base of the Cruz de Ferro. Others pick up a stone along the way or write a wish on paper. They deposit them at the cairn of Cruz de Ferro where a huge mound of rocks with their prayers, and hopes and suffering have accumulated over the centuries. This is a holy spot whose sacredness spoke to me even from a distance.
You may not want to collect rocks as I do. You may never walk the Camino de Santiago, but I am sure there is something you collect that reminds you of God and of your faith journey. Memorials root our prayers in the faithfulness of God. They provide anchors of stability that lead us onward towards the heart of God. Remembering the acts of God in our past is one important way that we connect to the acts of God in the present and learn to trust in hope for the promises of God in the future.
What have you collected during your life that are like memorials that mark your life? Gather them together in the place where you pray. Sit quietly looking at them.
Is there an object that stands out for you today? Pick it up. Hold it in your hand. What memories spring to mind? Allow them to flow around you. Listen for the whisper of God’s voice speaking to you through the object. What new things might God say to you today about faithfulness, endurance, remembrance or other aspects of life? Write these down and sit quietly basking in the presence of God.
Are there new insights God is giving you about your current situation? Write these down.
What about the future? Is God speaking to you through your memories about new ways to trust? Write these down too.
Repeat the exercise each day throughout the week. Write down what God says to you
For the past several weeks, the weekly Gospel reading for Sunday has focused us on bread . We’ve been looking at Jesus as the Bread of Life….Jesus the one who multiples the loaves and fish, and Jesus as the Manna who comes down from heaven to feed us all, and Jesus as the BREAD of Life. All in chapter 6 of John.
Which part of the story resonates with you ?
Jesus providing for hungry people
Jesus providing an abundance! ( There are baskets of leftovers! )
Jesus as Manna that comes down from heaven…our daily bread.
Jesus is our sustenance …our nourishment.
Which Bread do you need right now?
Have you paid attention to bread in your daily life? Like sandwiches, toast, rolls out at dinner?
I saw a lot of bread photos in my Instagram feed during the Olympics….Paris is filled with boulangeries and athletes and tourists alike were enjoying bread and croissants of all sizes!
What have you noticed about bread lately? Is your bread in scarcity or abundance? stale or fresh? daily or only on special occasions? Is this how we view Jesus?
Rob and I were talking this week about these passages. He said “ the heart of the Gospel is bread! “ He reminded me that those who were listening to Jesus were Jewish and spent their lives focused on food and doing food a regimented way, eating only the right things. They’d been focused on bread most of their lives…from the stories about manna to the passover unleavened bread. And now Jesus was saying that he was that BREAD!
We also talked about how much food was a part of the culture, about hospitality and welcome. Food was about community. Food is still about community.
It helps us know where we are and who we are! Food nourishes our bodies AND also our souls.
Everyone has a comfort food and a childhood memory food that brings us joy and warmth just thinking about eating it! We have foods that are family traditions and those that reflect where we are from! And if you come south to visit us, I will definitely introduce you to some southern bbq, grits, fried chicken and biscuits!
And Biscuits bring us back to Jesus as bread…Are you hungry yet?
Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman says “ Jesus brings humanity to God’s Table.” Jesus came to bring people together. He is showing us a new way to live, not creating a new religion. Breaking bread is about doing life together.
It’s about remembering that we are neighbors, friends, family.
This BREAD isn’t just for the in crowd, or the wealthy but for everyone!
It’s about nourishment and being nourished in love.
“Jesus brings humanity to God’s Table.”
How does the TABLE factor into your faith life? Not the communion table, but the regular dinner table?
Since covid, we’ve gotten into a bad habit of not eating regular meals at our table. Our table became our desk. Now we tend to grab our plates and watch a movie. We’ve also sadly gotten out of the habit of having people over for meals. Which sucks because we do believe that hospitality is 21st century evangelism. Not sharing bible verses, but sharing great food around a table and laughing and telling stories! That is life. That is the way of Jesus.
“I am the Bread of Life”
Blessed are you who know hungry.
Blessed are you who know thirsty.
Blessed are you who know hollow, empty.
I’m not talking to you peckish;
I’m talking to you who are conscious
of just how long it’s been
since your last real meal.
Blessed are you when you pass up
on the offer of a fast food snack.
Blessed are you when you don’t make do
with just any old crap.
Blessed are you who know your true need,
you who know where to truly feed.
Blessed are you who look to me,
– for I am the true life-giving manna,
sent down by your Jehovah-Jireh.
I am the bread of eternal life.
Whoever comes to me
should be ready with a butter knife.
For you will never go hungry.
I’m hungry for that BREAD and I am so ready to have people over and build bigger tables!
TRY THIS WITH YOUR COMMUNITY: A great way to help your community engage with the Tables of Jesus is through the AT THE TABLE WITH JESUS Sacred Space prayer experience that can be set up for a special event or done as a weekly sermon/teaching series. Great for a fall experience finishing with a celebration at Thanksgiving! You can purchase and download the experience here
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
This week I am very aware that the seasons are changing. The shortening days and lengthening nights become more evident each day and I am watching my tomatoes vigilantly encouraging them to ripen before the warm weather gives way to autumn coolness and vibrant colours. This morning my attention was caught by Mary de Jong’s comment: “We’re not meant to carry the relentless energy of summer into this time of transition. What would it look like for you to slow down and move in harmony with the season’s natural turn toward darkness and rest?” This is such a great question to contemplate at this time of the year for those of us in the Northern hemisphere.
In the Southern hemisphere where the days are lengthening and the touch of spring is in the air, many I am sure feel as they are waking up and ready to get moving. Perhaps you feel your energy rising as the days lengthen and you wake each day ready to take on the world. I am very much looking forward to my glimpse of spring with wattle and waratahs and grevillia when we head to Australia at the end of October. Wherever you are, it is important to take this transition season seriously. Set aside time to reflect on the few months and the lead up towards Christmas which will be upon us before we know. Schedule in time for refreshment and renewal. Step into the new season with intention and purpose. Open yourself to its wisdom and be receptive to learn from it.
My own time continues to be filled with book writing, and though it makes it very busy, it is also relaxing and enjoyable. I love dipping back into the Celtic books that have helped guide me over the last 30 years. It was a great delight to be able to share the first part of my new book Celtic Advent: Following An Unfamiliar Path Through Advent with many of you. I am looking forward to your feedback on this segment and on the coming segments that I will post each week.
Not surprisingly though, with so much on my plate and still grieving my brother’s death, I found over the weekend that my mind went blank. Rather than cursing this state of mind however I decided it was a good learning opportunity as I shared in my Monday Meditation – When My Mind Goes Blank The research I did for this article actually jump started my brain and revitalized my creativity and resulted in a very productive week.
My reading this week reminded me to keep my eyes and ears open to the presence of God in all things and make sure I respond to the promptings of what I see and hear and do. Last week, as I mentioned in my post Spiritual Practice – Praying the Examen, I was prompted by Lilly Lewin’s from 10 days ago to return to this vital practice which I have not used for several years. I loved researching the different forms it can take and broad variety of situations in which we can use it – from a daily practice to close the day, to an ecological examen, or one for refugees and against racism. I highly recommend adding this to your repertoire of spiritual practices.
One of the delights of my life continues to be the interviews I conduct for The Liturgical Rebels podcast. This week’s episode – Brian Edgar and the God Who Plays – was a fun one to record. We explored such interesting subjects as a playful attitude towards God, the integration of work and play, worship as play and even suffering as a form of play through which we grow and develop. This is a fascinating interview that revolves around his book The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach to Theology and Spirituality and you don’t want to miss it.
Lilly Lewin’s Freerange Friday – Beauty and Harmony and Bread this week gave me much to think about too. I love her use of The First Nations translation of the New Testament especially the verse she focuses on which suggests the bread of life is full of beauty and harmony. “Why is it that we settle for old, stale bread? Why is it that we settle for bread that is fake, bleached and sits on a shelf in a plastic wrapper, rather than the LIVING BREAD that comes down from heaven bringing beauty and harmony?” Such great thoughts to reflect on this week.
August seems to back to school month for many in the northern hemisphere and I thought that in preparation some of you might like to check out the posts from Godspacelight in previous years:
Back to School Prayers – A Resource List – Updated for 2022
Praying with School Supplies by Lilly Lewin
Blessing of the Backpacks by Emily Huff
Back to School Prayers by Lilly Lewin
Back to School – 10 Tips and Prayers for Teachers and Students
Back to School – 10 Tips to Help You Prepare Spiritually
Back to School – Adding and Subtracting by Lilly Lewin
One important thing to take note of. The date for Introduction to Celtic Spirituality webinar has been changed to September 14th. What is it about Celtic Spirituality that is so attractive to me and to so many others today? Why is there a resurgence of interest in this stream of Christian faith that thrived in Britain in the 4th to 8th centuries? In this webinar we will explore the lives of St Patrick, Columba, Brigid, Hilda and other Celtic Christians who still inspire and motivate us. Join us as we are guided by these ancient witnesses to bring the sacred in to wherever you need it.
Not surprisingly, my prayer this week is another Celtic prayer, this one I wrote several years ago inspired by one of our visits to Iona.
I arise today
present with the Holy One,
In the embrace of love,
In the hope of renewal,
In the joy of belonging
to the great I AM.
I arise today
in the life of the Creator,
In the image of the Eternal One,
Planter of gardens, bearer of burdens,
breath of the world.
I arise today,
a child of the faithful One,
Lover of souls, reviver of Spirits,
Blesser of all that is good
and true and praiseworthy.
I live today,
In the name of the caring One,
Compassion in my heart,
Gratitude in my thoughts,
Generosity in my deeds,
Justice as my passion.
I choose to live today
In the light of Christ.
Many blessings
Christine Sine
Photo by Darwis Alwan on pexels
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In this episode of Liturgical Rebels Brian Edgar explores the concept of a playful attitude towards God and the world, emphasizing the importance of enjoying life as part of having a relationship with God. Edgar highlights the need to integrate work and play, challenging the Protestant work ethic that prioritizes productivity over creativity and imagination. He reminds us that the biblical images of the eternal kingdom of God emphasize childlike play and joy. Edgar’s book, ‘The God Who Plays,’ offers a refreshing perspective on Christian faith and spirituality. In this conversation, Brian Edgar and Christine Sine discuss the concept of play and its significance in various aspects of life, including work and worship. They explore the idea that play is not separate from work but can be integrated into it, bringing joy and creativity. They also delve into the notion of worship as a form of play, highlighting the importance of interaction and enjoyment in our relationship with God. Additionally, they examine the idea of suffering as an opportunity for growth and the role of pain in the development of character. Overall, the conversation challenges traditional perspectives and invites listeners to embrace playfulness in all areas of life.
Takeaways
- Brian Edgar’s career has spanned both Australia and the United States, with teaching positions and work in theology and public theology.
- A playful attitude towards God and the world is at the heart of Christian faith, emphasizing the enjoyment of life and a relationship with God.
- The Protestant work ethic, which prioritizes productivity, has often overshadowed the importance of play, creativity, and imagination.
- The biblical images of the eternal kingdom of God focus on childlike play and joy, challenging the notion that suffering and sacrifice are the ultimate goals of the Christian journey. Play can be integrated into work, bringing joy and creativity.
- Worship is a form of play, involving interaction and enjoyment in our relationship with God.
- Suffering can provide an opportunity for growth and character development.
- The concept of play challenges traditional perspectives and invites us to embrace playfulness in all areas of life.Brian
Edgar is married to Barbara and they have two adult daughters, a son-in-law and two grandchildren. They live in Melbourne, Australia, and Brian is now retired. He is Professor Emeritus of Asbury Theological Seminary where he taught theology for fifteen years. Prior to that he was Director of Public Theology for the Australian Evangelical Alliance and Dean and lecturer at the Melbourne School of Theology. Amongst other writing Brian is author of a short series of three books which indicate what became his primary theological and spiritual interest: God is Friendship: A Theology of Spirituality, Community and Society (Seedbed, 2013), The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach to Theology and Spirituality (Wipf and Stock, 2017) which received a Merit Award in Christianity Today’s Book of the Year and Laughter and the Grace of God: Restoring Laughter to its central Role in Christian Spirituality and Theology (Wipf and Stock, 2019).
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by Christine Sine
Last Friday I sat down to write my Meditation Monday and my mind went blank. I had no idea of what my intended topic was. I had so many disconnected thoughts circulating in my brain that it was impossible to focus on one alone.
It’s something that happens to all of us so I thought I should treat it as though it were a gift from God rather than a liability. That made me realize that the best place to start my morning was by exercising the parts of my brain that were still functioning properly and do a little research on the way I felt.
The most common causes of blank mind are anxiety, lack of sleep, medication, change and feeling overwhelmed. This morning I felt I could blame all of those. My lack of sleep and feeling overwhelmed were the major culprits. I suffer from jumpy legs and have experienced several nights lately in which leg pain plus spasms made sleep very difficult. Hopefully it will be relieved by changes in my thyroid medication. On top of that I am still struggling with my brother’s death and other pressures in my life.
While there is a rare condition caused by severe trauma called “blank mind syndrome” occasional mind blankness like I experienced is not something to be afraid or ashamed of. In fact, according to Janis Leslie Evans in What is Mind Blanking? Tips to Get Rid of that Foggy Feeling. it helps to share our problem with others, laugh at ourselves and reset our goals, which is exactly what I decided to do this morning. I’m relishing my blank mind because it has led me into a new area of research, and taught me some new fun facts. It really is a gift and not a liability.
Evidently revisiting a sample of what we wrote or created in the past to remind ourselves of how productive we have been and can be again is helpful. “You are the same person with the same skills” What a great idea I thought. How rarely we remind ourselves of what we have accomplished and applaud ourselves for our productivity. So I picked up a copy of The Gift of Wonder intending to read some of my favourite portions and exercises but I didn’t get past the first chapter. “What do I enjoy doing that makes me sense God’s pleasure?” I wrote and I realized that was God’s word for me again today. God takes delight in us and what we accomplish and I don’t know about you, but I rarely take time to acknowledge that. So I stacked up the books I have written and thanked God for them. I looked through some of my prayer cards, and admired my Digging Deeper garden which still sits on my desk. Finally I hurried out to the garden which is still ablaze with summer colour. I picked the first of our large tomatoes and admired the beauty of my dahlias. Then I harvested some basil and walked inside with the wonderful aroma still clinging to my clothes.
When blank brain sets in do some deep breathing exercises, center your attention outside of yourself. Take notice of your environment with the help of your senses Evans suggests so now I sit breathing slowly in and out aware of the fragrance of God, all around me. It clings to us at all times yet we rarely pause to notice. Now as I breathe, that wonderful fragrance relaxes me, I collect my thoughts and allow my memory to do its job.
So when blank brain sets in, take some deep breaths and allow the spirit of God to guide you. Like me I am sure you will be able to say “Wow, I think this might be what God wanted me to write about after all.”
NOTE: this post is derived from one I wrote a couple of years ago on Godspacelight.
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