Meditate

I recently started reading and discussing with a friend a book about the twelve spiritual disciplines. I have to confess my ignorance when I began the book. If asked, I could not have listed these disciplines and certainly didn't know there were twelve. They are even divided into subgroups. As much as I love making lists, this was one I had little awareness of. If you are in that boat with me, here they are as listed in the book.

Inward Disciplines:
Meditation
Prayer
Fasting
Study

Outward Disciplines:
Simplicity
Solitude
Submission
Service

Corporate Disciplines:
Confession
Worship
Guidance
Celebration

What I love about the book is that it is selected writings of Christians authors and thinkers for the past two thousand years. Wow. The lives, experiences, and collective wisdom represented is a bit staggering.

For the next few weeks we are talking about meditation. I am a very reflective person and love having time to think and process life. Keeping a journal has always been a part of my life, but I don't think I am so good at meditating. (Although with young children, the journaling has fallen to the wayside a bit too.) Meditations requires a quiet composure and stillness that seems to elude me these days.

As silly as it may sound, I've often thought of meditating and marinating as similar activities. Taking the time to meditate on a truth works much like allowing spices to marinate, flavor, and tenderize meat. (Like I said, it may sound silly, but stick with me.) The truth must be given time to sink into your soul and resonate with your spirit. As it does, truth influences your thoughts, and your thoughts influence your actions. All of a sudden, your life is flavored by the time you spent meditating and by what you spent time meditating on.

Truly, I long for this kind of spice in my life, but often I am too busy? distracted? undisciplined? scared? to sit down with my Savior in the quietness of my soul and seek the Truth.

This week I was challenged by Thomas More...

To be content to be solitary,
Not to long for worldly company
Little and little utterly to cast off the world,
And rid my mind of all the business thereof.

Did I say challenge? Indeed. We do not live in a culture that applauds solitude and stillness, and yet that is the very cry of our souls. We are parched by our busyness, we are wearied by our schedules, and we are dying for something meaningful to pierce our meager existence. And yet we fill our free moments with junk food. Well, at least, I know I do at times. And those times I actually try to be still, my mind is a jumble of thoughts or I simply fall to sleep. Sigh.

So, what to do? I was also challenged by Jeremiah 17 : 5-10. Read the whole passage and note the contrast he offers. I'll only quote part of it here, the part that struck me to the core. (The bold is my emphasis, not the writer's.)

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
Whose trust is in the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green,
in the year of drought, it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.

Can't you picture it? A giant, strong, healthy tree by a stream. Lush, green, shady, fruitful. I want to be that tree. Full of trust in the Lord. Deep healthy roots, a strong foundation in Christ. Able to weather life's difficult season's with grace. Peaceful, not anxious. Full of life.

Roots don't form overnight. Strong roots take years and good soil. Again, sigh. Instant gratification this is not. This is work and commitment and discipline. So, how is this rest? God knows our needs and our weaknesses. He understands what it's like to live here, to struggle with flesh and spirit. He knows we need time with Him in order to have relationship, to form our roots. And He knows how easily we get distracted. He knows we need rest and He knows how hard it is for us to find it. There are plenty of scriptures that talk about this, but here is one of my favorites.

Psalm 46:10
Cease striving (be still) and know that I am God.

Somebody down the line in history put meditation on a list of spiritual disciplines, but it wasn't their idea. It was God's design for us from Creation. He rested on the seventh day and set an example for us, not because He wanted us to check meditation off on a to do list, but because He knows how our souls, minds, bodies, and spirits need the rest. He knows that we must choose to do it. Rest. Meditate. Be still.

Mary sat at Jesus' feet and was still. She knew that He was God. She meditated on His goodness. At times I do this, but most of the time I'm still Martha in the kitchen striving. I want to experience life spiced with meditation and knowing God in that stillness of your soul where only He can see. I want to love deeply. I want deep, well watered roots.