life, interrupted
Funny how inconveniences can lead us to presence & gratitude (it's almost as-if they were designed to do so).
Good evening, my loves!
Here are some little thoughts on presence and gratitude to end your week with. I apologize that it comes so late. At the end, you’ll find the link for tomorrow’s Sonic Prayer meeting. A note on that: the Zoom link is always the same, so save it somewhere and keep it handy for our Saturday mornings together.
xx
life, interrupted
Prayer can be considered more than just a string of words we speak or a command we make. The best form of prayer is gratitude: to give thanks through many methods of communication.
Speaking is merely one way of expressing yourself, and what a wonderful one that is. But there’s also the quiet amazement of the heart that wells up when moved by how beautiful life is. When we pause to notice a child playing, when someone returns your smile and says good morning and you remember why you love this neighbourhood, when you’re drinking a glass of water after realizing how parched you were, and you savour every bit of its life-giving essence, when you pull away from the best hug you’ve had all week. All of this is prayer, dancing gently through the motions of your day. It is this way of living, of presence and gratitude and awe, where we get a glimpse of what it means to pray without ceasing.
Oh, thank God for every person you meet! Every new Spring flower you pass! Every twinkling thing that catches your eye! Every 444 on the barometer and 222 on the clock! Every cat bathing in a bed of sunlight! Every whisper of wind that creeps through your curtains! Every person you bump into on the street! Every noise that interrupts you (perhaps to awaken you to the moment)!
Ah, how healing and lovely it is to live a gracious life. But what if you find it hard to tint your words with wonder? To see the mystical in the mundane? To give thanks for small things? Yes, this is the issue, isn’t it? It is hard to bring this heart with us, and in a busy, bustling world, in a cityscape of stressors, in a humdrum life, it is even harder still.
There’s not just one way to remedy it, but I do find it helpful to find a different perspective by moving away from whatever has become typical, normal, or routine. How often we fall into mindless patterns; how easily we forget our sense of awe while trawling the same old routes; how impatient we become when we expect everything to move swiftly, efficiently, expectantly. We lose our capacity for wonder when everything feels not only normal, but perhaps even frustrating and decidedly unappreciated. We must get on top, outside, beyond them, by allowing interruption to awaken our senses. A new environment, a new mode of transportation, a new habit — really anything new and uncomfortable can do the trick.
Do you know something I’ve learned? Oh, how I’ve learned this many times. If you refuse to bring that divine interruption, I promise the interruption will find a way to you, and rarely the way you want it to. I want to offer you an idea. What if the things inconveniencing you are actually little nudges from the divine? What if that change, that hiccup, that conversation, that road closure, that minor deterrent, is asking you to be more present? Yes, if you don’t choose it for yourself, one will be chosen one for you, because the pull is always, always, towards presence so that we can find a heart of gratitude.
When my friend invited me to spend a quiet evening in Okotoks, I graciously and expeditiously accepted. A change of scenery, of pace, of temperature, will do me just fine after a week of painful and frustrating interruptions. I admit, I too struggled to find gratitude and presence this week.
Out here the landscape softens me. I come face to face with quiet places waiting for me: ancient oaks to remind me of how small I am, great mountains to absorb my sorrows, and dusty paths to remind me that the path towards presence is a little bit dirty, rough, and raw. After a beautiful dinner, a baseball game, a good conversation, a long walk, and a hot bath, I feel my eyes have set upon the horizon and I am able to see it anew. What a gift to just be alive. What a joy to have a safe sanctuary, a warm meal, a bubble bath, a friend, a sunset, a bed.
From out of my heart, thank you thank you thank you. Out here in a landscape and simplicity and kindness and attention, I am able to look back at this week and say thank you for helping me be more present. Thank you life, thank you interruptions, thank you inconveniences. Yes, teach me the language of devotion. Let it all open my heart to become a living stream of gratitude.
SONIC PRAYER | meeting details
March 21st — 08:00 AM Edmonton
Preparation notes:
- Please arrive hydrated or with a large glass of plain water
- Bring your curiosity; leave your judgments
- Camera on is most ideal, but it’s also fine to listen in
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/84738935603?pwd=W3uWqbPaEdgsWvfU8jhaWsvQ7CnY8b.1
Meeting ID: 847 3893 5603
Passcode: 2244