Winter Trees on a sunny day...
Winter tree scenes often evoke an introspective mood in me - just the sort of mood one might expect to be in in the season of Lent. It is not depressing, or morose, or a "blueness" (although the hue might lead one to think that!); just a cool, deep, inner journey. You'll see why I chose this type of scene in the words that follow...
Discipline is Prayer: That's what I've discovered in the first three days of this Lenten journey.
And here are two more learnings from the first two days:
- Adding something can actually mean giving something up.
- A discipline works because it focuses our minds and draws us into an inner conversation.
But what is an inner conversation if not prayer. And a lovely different kind of prayer - more of a conversation than a simple list of things we are thankful for and things we want to draw to God's attention (which of course has always mystified me - why does God need to be told about all the troubles - except that the immanent God, the 'divine' within us needs to be informed - so that our divine attention is focused on the things we would have God working on). No, this prayer is a conversation - speaking and listening.
This spiritual practice, this Lenten discipline has also been great as preparation for our Sunday evening learning and contemplating. Just three days worth and I'm already chomping at the bit to share what I've learned. I'm trying to imagine what it will be like when I've had thirty some days to add to the experience.
I'm still a bit anxious about what will happen next week when much of the time will be spent in meetings and travels. I'm anxious because I don't want to break the habit and I'm anxious because I'm already looking forward to the time I spend each day in doing this, and I don't want to miss out!
