After a great weekend away from Lima with family, I finished it off with a great small group (and steak supper!) We started our small groups this fall at church and God totally answered prayer when we were introduced to these 5 couples. It's awesome how some people just click and this group of people seem to be a great fit for us at this time in our lives. This afternoon, we talked about prayer...so crazy because it goes hand in hand with what I was talking about last blog with the whole bathroom and reflection thing I have started lately because of cancer.
So let me ask a question first...Do you have a quiet place? A place in your house where you go just to get away from the kids, spouse, technology, pets, LIFE. Anything that causes you stress. I think it would be great to have a whole room dedicated as 'the quiet room', but if you're like me, you are already looking for more room because you have ran out! But if I had one, it would look like one of those rooms at a spa where you have a massage. Neutral colors on the wall, with the piano playing softly in the background, the water fountain trickling down the stones, and pictures of a little house somewhere on top of a hill in Italy with tall grass surrounding it. Well, I don't have a room to spare in my house as my quiet room, but one day I will :) But for now, my quiet place is my bathroom. I used to read in the bathtub, but now, I have a different view of my bathroom. I realize that I do not take enough time in my day to stop, reflect on my life and my day, and pray. I haven't experienced many things like this diagnosis over my lie span and the last three months can be a lot to swallow. Have you ever taken 5 minutes, wait lets be realistic, lets just do 2 minutes, to really stop...turn everything off...close your eyes and reflect on YOU? It can change you!
One of the things I have changed in my life since having cancer is taking time to reflect. I now choose to do this during my routine nightly bath. I used to take a bath with lights on, cell phone by my side, book in hand, and surrounded by everything that gave me anxiety because that was what the world told me would make me pretty (make up, hair supplies, razors, ect). Know what I really need during this time...I need a sanctuary. I read that when having cancer, having a place to go is key. I need a place to go to reflect and relax, and my bathtub has been my place of relaxation since I was in the sixth grade...I love my baths! Now though, it has changed. I made my bathroom a place of comfort for me too, and my place of comfort is the beach. Always has been. I want more than anything to say that I am a woodsy kinda girl, but if I had my choice, the beach will always and forever be my first pick. So I have made my bathroom into my own little ocean. No more bright lights, I have replaced them with candles. I have pictures up from the beaches I have been too as well as seashells lining the bathtub, the tropical flower shawl from Brunei, my porcelain sea turtle, and some of my other favorite things to make me relax. So now I can take the time in the tub to relax, reflect, and pray. It's like meditation. I see more clearly the things that I love about my life and the things that need a changing. Its a time where I listen to me for once instead of everyone else. I am totally enjoying this time because I have no distractions to keep me from really listening to my inner self. Now I'm not saying full meditation can happen every night in my bath tub, let's be realistic, but I would like to try to take at least some time at night to stop and reflect. Who knows? Maybe I will discover something amazing while actually doing more listening. Not just to myself, but to God.
I have learned so far that when I am relaxed, I can hear God better. We all pray so quick because our lives are so rushed. You know 'Dear God, help me get through the day. You're great, Thanks!' kinda prayers. I just can't do that anymore. My friends and I have more needs than to simply give God a quick shout out and expect something in return. He longs to have a relationship with us. We don't deserve it, the answered prayers, but our God is definitely a merciful God and nothing pleases Him more than to help his kids in need. So go to Him in prayer. And so you don't feel guilty for asking, give Him thanks and spend some quiet time with Him. That's all He really wants from us. This quiet time gives me the time I need to just sit and talk with God. It doesn't have to be in a prayer mode, I just simply talk because that's what I do best and He still hears. But the best thing is that I am a better listener now because I am relaxed and am taking the time to listen. And things in my life are starting to change because I am finally listening for once :)
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18- "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
No comments:
Post a Comment