Psalm 27: 1 & 14
27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Reflection from Spiritual Director – Francie Thayer
There has been a lot of waiting over the last 365 days… our days have been filled with it. Some days waiting is so hard to do. Some days it is not nearly as hard. What is it that makes that difference?
I think it has to do with letting go. When I want to control things, when I want/need something to end now, or I want/need something to start now, waiting takes me into spaces of agitation. It uses up my energy that I could be directing in other ways and it makes me anxious and tired.
If I can wait with an open hand, with an open heart, the experience of waiting is very different. That open hand and open heart happen when I am able to trust God to bring whatever it is I’m waiting for at the right time… which would be God’s time, not mine. Letting go and trusting that “God’s got this” helps me to wait with peace rather than with anxiety.
What practices help me in this letting go and trust? 3 deep breaths are always a good option for me. When things get really hard, I take 3 deep breaths multiple times an hour! Also, it helps me if I can remember that the universe and God’s Great Love for that universe is much bigger than my present concern. My concern matters, yes, and God is completely with me in my concern, and, at the same time, it is only a small part of the universe, of God’s prayer for me and of God’s prayer for that universe.
3 deep breaths and 10,000-feet-up perspective have been my companions for 365 days… companions for which I am most grateful.