Breath prayer:
"Breathing in: Faithful Love...
Breathing out:...dwelling in me.
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor. 3:16)
I thought of one of my favorite songs/prayers as I read the thoughts of Day 2. Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary for you. Amen. If you would like to spend a few moments thinking about what this means for you, I invite you to right click on the song title and follow the link. Lord, Prepare Me To Be A Sanctuary.
Joyce shares that she thinks of herself as a "mini Ark of the Covenant." Now, there is a new thought for me to hold! The Hebrew scriptures tell us about how ornate, beautiful, powerful, and sacred was this Ark. What if I began to see myself as a "mini Ark"? What if I cared for myself as much as the ancient Hebrews cared for the Ark?
When I know company is coming, I get busy cleaning. I want the clutter cleaned up, furniture dusted, the floors swept and mopped. If I do that for company, why am I so lax in caring for the Lord! Oh, there is so much preparation needed in order for me to be a living sanctuary!
Joyce admits how easy it is for her to lose her reverence and awareness of all the beauty around her when she races through a day's "to do list." That hits me between the eyes.
Last night, before turning my mask in to be burned, I wrote on the back that one thing I want to fast from is judgement and impatience. I wrote that I wanted to feast on recognizing Christ in others. Joyce writes,
"...when I remember that God has made a home in my heart and in the heart of each one I meet, I look at people and life quite differently. I am more patient, kind, and much less judgmental."In your journal, Joyce invites us to consider one or more thoughts:
I am most aware of God's dwelling within me when...
As I reflect on the Divine Presence dwelling within myself and others, I hope that...
Dear God...
Divine Presence, Joyce gives me the image of you dancing your way into my innermost being. Father and Creator, your Word tells how you want to nurture and to tend my soul. You are always with me, walking beside me, before me, behind me, above me, and within me. I am surrounded by your love! God...I do bow before your sacredness. Amen.
May your love song rise above the noise of the world today! May you pause to remember that the Living Lord does indeed reside in your heart and within those you meet.
Many Blessings ~ Sandi
This follows my Quaker heritage, each day in every way I choose to either move toward God or away from God's presence. For today, I will choose to live in the light of God's presence. I will hold my hand over my heart as a reminder of his holy presence.
ReplyDeleteI love your words from Numbers. This was the benediction my choirs sang when I taught in Hammond and finally my present choir is singing it and feeling its power. Yesterday was such a good day. Looking at this I realize that for the first time, one of the kids requested that we sing The Blessing. I was and am blessed.
ReplyDeleteReflect, refocus, respond, retreat, regroup, regain, refill, rejuvenate. I cannot do it alone. I can only do it through God's strength, Christ's love, and the Spirit's guidance. I need to take the lid off my cup and have God fill me- fill me to overflowing, so that I might share and so others will see Christ spilling out and not me. Help me to slow down long enough to be filled.
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