Moments of Mindfulness
Margaret Polly of Salem, OR, USA
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving…. Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. -Colossians 4:2, 5-6
I stomped out to the cold garage one more time to move laundry out of the washer into the dryer. It had been a trying, difficult week, and I wanted to get chores done in order to rest the following day, the Sunday Sabbath. It felt like my life had become an endless cycle of laundry, dishes, cleaning, and caregiving.
As I opened the dryer, the warm air whooshed out and encircled me. Stop. Listen. I stood in the stillness and took five gentle breaths. Be mindful. Be in the moment; be aware of the gift of the moment.
Mindfulness has never been my strong quality. Usually I am anxious about the future or living in the past. The recent past (meaning this week!) had given us the “opportunity” to purchase a new water heater when ours unceremoniously died. This had followed the recent demise of both our refrigerator and dishwasher. I felt overwhelmed and angry.
The gentle call to stop and listen and become aware was surely from the Divine. Standing in the garage, holding clean warm socks in my hands, I opened my heart. I listened.
The new water heater was humming along. I considered that my brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico and Syria and many other places had no energy for hot water and often did not even have clean water. Although it would take time to pay off the new refrigerator and water heater, we would and could do it. Many people could not. The dishwasher? It would have to wait, but this we could also do.
Being mindful and open to the Spirit led to gratitude. My life is so blessed with happy relationships, a warm secure home, and opportunities to lovingly serve others. There is tremendous beauty in my life when I look for it, and when I embrace it, I am content.
We find what we are looking for, whether it is negative or positive. To me, when Jesus said to seek first the kingdom and that the kingdom is within, this is what he meant.
Stop. Listen. Seek. Find.
Prayer Phrase
“Awake, my soul!” (Psalm 57:8)
Spiritual Practice
The Prayer of the Heart
Early Christian disciples desired to take seriously the scripture mandate to pray “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The prayer of the heart invites us to pray “continuously” by repeating and returning to a prayer phrase planted for intentional reflection and deepening. Choose a word or phrase (from scripture, hymnody, or personal reflection) that has meaning for you. The Jesus Prayer is one form of the prayer of the heart: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:35-43). Invite this simple phrase to repeat in your heart throughout the day, awakening your soul to God’s presence.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
