Hello my friends and welcome to today's practice.
This is a short meditative process to help us center our mind and heart.
Our body and spirit,
On God,
Our creator.
I invite you to take a comfortable seat for your body.
Find a quiet space where you're at.
And carve out the next couple of minutes.
To connect with God.
To take a break from all the chaos in the world.
All the uncontrollable and overwhelming thoughts and emotions in your heart.
We're going to intentionally take some time.
And be still with God.
Start to tune into your breath.
And as you're inhaling and exhaling.
See if you can slow down your breath a little bit.
As you breathe in.
Allow your lungs and your belly to gently,
Fully expand.
Without pushing.
Without forcing.
Just bring a little curiosity to see if you can let your breath settle in a little bit deeper.
To fill up the spaces that aren't usually filled.
When we are stressed out or when we are anxious or even when we are not.
Paying attention,
Our breath can become shallow.
And it limits the amount of oxygen that we can circulate in our body.
And as you breathe out.
See if you can allow your shoulders to drop just a little bit more.
Feel your weight and the gravity that anchors you.
Allow your legs and your arms.
To become a little heavier.
And with every single breath.
Just feel yourself arrive at this moment.
In all of your imperfections.
All of your longing.
All of your dissatisfactions everything that comes with this present moment.
Allow yourself to arrive here.
And if you feel any resistance from your mind,
Your heart,
Your body.
There's no need to criticize or judge.
Or reject yourself.
Simply breathe into it.
Allow your judgment to soften.
And as you soften your self-criticism as you allow.
Yourself to just be as you are.
See if you are resistance.
To the present moment how you presently are also softens.
We are coming as we are.
To meet God.
Exactly where we're at.
And before we turn to prayer.
.
.
I invite you to imagine that you are in the presence of God.
The creator that has control over everything.
The creator that knows exactly what you need.
The crater that weaved you together in your mother's womb.
A creator that will never leave you.
That is here with you right now.
Gently allow your mind and heart to settle into this reality.
How does it feel like to be in the presence of God?
What are the emotions that come up?
Gently acknowledge what you're feeling.
And as you breathe in and out.
Allow that to settle as well.
Perhaps today you are bothered by your career choices.
Perhaps today you are worried about your work.
You're overwhelmed by your family.
You're bothered by a conflict with a friend.
Or perhaps today you simply feel lonely.
Or looking for connection.
Any kind of dissatisfaction,
Any kind of wishes that we have towards what we may or may not have yet.
I invite you to gently hold these desires.
In the imaginary palm of her hands in your heart.
You and as you breathe in and out.
I'm going to read some verses from Ecclesiastes.
To help us renew our mind and center towards God.
There is a time for everything.
And a season for every activity under the heavens.
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to uproot.
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build.
A time to weep and a time to laugh.
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.
A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to search and a time to give up.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the human heart.
Yet no one can fathom what God has done,
From beginning to end.
I know that everything God does will endure forever.
Nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.
I gently invite you to tune into how you're feeling,
What kind of sensations arise.
When you hear these verses.
Gently acknowledge Breathe in to give them some space.
And as you exhale,
Allow it to be let go of.
Now continue to breathe in and out.
No matter what circumstances you find yourselves in.
Maybe it's in joy.
Maybe it's in grief.
Maybe it's in turmoil.
Gently breathe into the state you're in.
And let's listen to some verses from Psalm 51.
As a prayer for inner renewal and spiritual restoration.
Cleanse me with Hyssop.
And I will be clean.
Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness.
Let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart,
O God.
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence.
Or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation.
And grant me a willing spirit.
To sustain me.
As you hear these words.
I invite you to take a moment and just contemplate on all the ways that God is caring for you.
We may not ever understand fully how he is caring for us.
In moments of pain especially.
We may struggle to understand.
Struggle to maintain our faith.
We may even have doubts and questions.
I invite you to lay out these questions.
In the presence of God.
And know that he is welcoming enough.
He is big enough.
He is powerful enough.
To face everything that goes on in our heart and mind.
You can also gently notice how you're feeling.
Maybe you carry resentment.
Maybe you carry anger.
Maybe you carry sadness and disappointment.
As you continue to breathe in the space.
I invite you to lay out these emotions in front of God as well.
And just feel into His gracious and loving presence.
Wrapping around all of us.
Embracing our hurt.
Embracing our doubt.
Embracing all of our misunderstandings.
Continue to breathe in the space.
And soften your expectations Soften your judgment Soften your fears.
As we wrap up today's practice.
You can continue to sit in stillness.
And turn your prayers to God.
You can also journal about what came up for you today.
You can continue to dwell in the Word of God.
Thank you for being here with me.
I hope that this practice brought you some new perspectives.
And has supported you to feel a little bit more centered.
Have a wonderful rest of your day.
And I will see you next time.
