I just returned from the United Methodist Church of Geneva's Women's Retreat. We spent the weekend discussing and sharing our challenging and victorious experiences with spiritual disciplines such as prayer, reading scripture, fasting and worship. Amidst the conversations, I had an epiphany.
Why not utilize the same discipline that earned me a scholarship to play volleyball in college, to help strengthen my prayer life and develop my relationship with God?
When I first started playing volleyball, I had no control over where the ball went and barely any control over where my body went, and I sat on the bench the entire season. After a year of practice and strengthening my muscles, I developed more control over the ball and played in every game. Four years later and many more hours spent in the gym practicing my skills, strengthening my muscles and building my endurance, I earned a scholarship to play in college. Now, nearly 30 years after I began playing, I still love the game and will take advantage of any opportunity to play. Since I'm out of practice, my skills are not as sharp, my muscles are not as strong, and I tire out more quickly. However, the basic skills are ingrained in my muscle memory and picking up a ball brings back many fond memories.
Just as my volleyball skills took hours of repetitive practice, years of drills, and a huge commitment on my part, my prayer discipline will require nurturing, repetitive practice and commitment. Yet, it will also require a realistic expectation on my part. I can't expect that after a week of 'training', I will be able to clearly identify God's call to me. Also, I must be aware of the downside of overtraining; after all, fatigue, burnout and injury can lead to frustration, slower progress and less joy in the activity.
At our retreat's closing worship, I heard these words spoken to me.
Don't misunderstand my interpretation. I believe reading devotional books, praying in a variety of ways and meditating on scripture are valuable, essential disciplines. However, God was speaking to ME today, knowing my innermost heart, desire and capacity at this time."Dear Child, Please don't concern yourself with "Doing" devotions, with reading the right book, with praying the right way or with choosing the right scripture to read. Please just make time for Me. Take time to prayerfully listen; to vacate your mind from the chaos and allow my Spirit to enter into your being. Give Me space to fill you, to love you, to guide you, to share My love through you. In grace, peace and love, your heavenly Father."
As part of the offering, we wrote down one commitment we will make in response to the weekend's retreat. I wrote, "I will commit to 10 minutes of silent prayer and reflection each morning and will write a daily reflection on how my journey toward creating this new habit of sacred space is going." I know 10 minutes seems trivial, but the small step is by design; in part so I don't get overwhelmed, so I'll never find an excuse not to take the 10 minute retreat into sacred space, and so I can enjoy some success in acheiving my goal.
So tomorrow, I begin a new journey of creating sacred space in the chaos and attempting to vacate my mind in order to make space for God to truly enter. I hope that by next January at the Women's Retreat, I can share my experience of how in 12 months, I created a habit of carving out sacred space each morning. Sacred space where God can enter and fill me. Where I can vacate the chaos from my mind and be in relationship with God.
Thank you to the 2012 UMCG Women's Retreat planning committee and the nearly 40 women who participated. Without your presence in my life, your support, your modeling, your prayers and your encouragement, I wouldn't be able to attempt this.
