Learning Along The Way

Of Water & Wheels: Reflections on Solitude

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Saturday is a day of looking back, reflecting on the week just ended.  It also is a day to look ahead to the coming week; to take stock of what was and what will be.

In the middle of both I find myself looking at what is.  I am like water.

In what way?  Left to my own devices, I seek my lowest level.  Like water.  It always will run downhill.

I mentioned this week that I am easily distracted.  Actually I distract myself.  Pondering and practicing the discipline of Solitude this week I have seen my habits in a new light, rather like a flood light into a dark room.  Revealing what was formerly tolerable in a dim light to be frayed and worn under bright light.  My habits of starting and not finishing, of having too many things vying for top priority, of saying Yes too many times and having little or “no time” to be alone.

Blegh.

I learned this week that although too much action can be the enemy of Solitude, when practiced at the discipline, one can experience Solitude while busy.  Richard Foster said it this way: “Solitude is more a state of mind and heart than it is a place.  There is a solitude of the heart that can be maintained at all times.”

Look at how two sisters made choices. When presented with a dinner guest, one got busy, the other sat with the guest.  One resented all the work, the other sat peacefully in the guest’s Presence.  Given that much information likely our Western minds would jump to the side of the busy sister who is taking care of the needs of the guest.  Ironically, that’s not where Jesus sided.  He chided the busy sister with these words: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered by so many things; but Mary has chosen the better part and that will not be taken away from her.”  Mary’s priority was being with Jesus.  Martha’s priority was doing stuff.  Both are necessary.  But Mary has chosen the better part…

Being with Jesus prepares us to be with others.  Solitude in His Presence is refreshing to our souls; like what water is supposed to be to our bodies.

Yet we must take care of life and work.  We must be active.  In reading the Windows of the Soul by Ken Gire I encountered an idea that made perfect sense to me.

Be the still axis.

A wheel can spin wildly fast; going downhill like water, the revolutions are hard to count.  But at the center is the immovable axis which keeps the wheel able to do what it’s intended to do.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh suggests we strive “to be the still axis within the revolving wheel of relationships, obligations and activities.” 

Don’t do away with action; Be the still axis.

Looking at Solitude this week has been a blessing.  I have seen some of my habits for what they are: water going downhill.

I have also seen the possibility of learning to be still at the center even when there are many things to attend to.

I love this summary again by Anne Morrow Lindbergh: “The problem is not entirely in finding the room of one’s own, the time alone, difficult and necessary as that is.  The problem is more how to still the soul in the midst of its activities.”

What have you learned this first week of Lent?

 

How Noisy is Your Life?

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Today was an opportunity to deepen community and connect with a group of women in a different setting; my home.  This group meets weekly at our church down in the “dungeon” of the church’s basement where the “Student Ministries” meet.  Rather bleak visually.  But the upside of that is there is not a lot to distract me from the women: two rectangle tables and the chairs we need for our group.  Not much on the walls to look at, not much clutter in the room itself.  So the point of our gathering is to discuss what we’ve studied in the past week.

Today’s gathering was a bit more open and social.  It was nice to hear from the women about interests and experiences.  At one point one of them asked a question for each of us: “What do you collect?”

Now this was a great question to learn about each other.  What do we find value in?  What is cute?

So here’s one of mine…

How does this relate to this week of Lent for me?

I have been pondering what keeps me from experiencing solitude.  This morning my little book asked me to consider this question: “What is the greatest source of “noise” in your life?”  I realized between the topic of what do I collect and what is the greatest source of noise (think distraction) the answer came in the prayer in Mornings with Tozer

“Dear Lord, Help me make the transition from wanting more and more “things” to being satisfied–and overjoyed–with only Your presence in my life.”

My stuff is the greatest source of “noise”.  Cleaning, organizing, maintaining, decluttering, yada, yada, yada.

The things of my life distract me from enjoying just being.  Just peacefully being with God.

My life is too noisy.  It’s time to do some purging!

 

Learning in Lent

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This is the cover of the book I am reading during this season of Lent.  I bought it because I love the title.  I love the concept.  I loved it so much I ordered multiple copies with specific “Formation Friends” in mind; women who I know to be on the path desiring a closer, deeper walk with Jesus.

It’s short.  It’s simple.  But it’s deep and piercing.

On Day 4 of Lent and the first Saturday in Lent a pattern is established: reflect on what I have learned and experienced in the previous week.  One of today’s questions: ‘How has your connection with yourself, with others, deepened because of your intentional work with this discipline?’

Hmmm. This isn’t an easy answer.  I sit quietly considering my response.  Then it bubbles up: this book deepened my connection with others.  I have heard from several of the women to whom I gave a copy, that this little book is the answer to their prayer asking God for what they should do this Lent.

Now that is humbling.  To have prayed for the names of who to give the book to, ‘who Lord would be blessed to receive this?’ And then to have them say, this is an answer to their prayers!  That’s humbling.

But also confirming.  Having them tell me the book was an answer to their prayer means that I actually listened to the Holy Spirit and obeyed. Now that’s encouraging.

This first few days of Lent the discipline of Confession, of less guilt and more grace, has been the focus.

My internal repeated lie of not doing enough is being replaced. With Truth.  Be still and know that I AM God.

Less is More.

By the way, Renovare just made this book available digitally here.  So if you want your own copy but you think it’s too late, it’s not!

Why Lent?

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I have a confession: I am undisciplined.

I look at DIY blogs and Pinterest, and Facebook and tell myself not so nice things about how I take care of our home, or time, or…

I have no shortage of ideas of what to do or how to do them!

What I lack is discipline. Follow through. Commitment. Perseverance.

Truth be told, some of those words make me cringe, like a bright light being shone into dark places, revealing what was hidden.

Why Lent?

For this very purpose: confessing what is out of whack and doing something about it.

For nearly two millennia Christ followers have been emulating what Christ must have gone through in the 40 days in the wilderness during the period of time prior to the celebration of the Resurrection.

The remembrance of that time period begins today.

You may not have grown up in a faith practice where the season of Lent was even considered.  You can learn more about the history and faith practices around Lent here.

But I will tell you this, slowing down, considering honestly who you are and where you are compared to who and where you’d like to be in your personal growth and spiritual formation is always valuable.

Doing something about what you see is even more valuable.

So for the season of Lent this year, I am going to be journeying publicly, here, daily writing.  Yep. Daily. Writing. Here.

Working on the discipline I lack and sharing the process.  Being in the work not just in my head.  Sharing my process as I learn along the Way.  My hope is that you benefit from my journey; that you are encouraged in your own spiritual formation practices and that you’d share some of what you’re growing through with me.

Follow Me…

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