By Stephanie Gretchen Burgevin. Stephanie is a writer and retreat leader. She is an associate faculty member of Shalem and a graduate of theirLeading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats Program and leads spiritual and secular programs. Stephanie manages Shalem’s blog and is one of the social media coordinators for the Shalem Institute Facebook page.
If you’ve read other blogs here you may have seen the one called The Spiritual Practice of Saying “No.”
It talks about how the sense of not having enough time can get in the way of one’s spiritual life. It has/does with mine. But I realized it’s all in my perspective.
At this point in my life, I’m pretty good about setting aside time and meditating just about every day. Most days I take a walk and meditate for at least part of that time. I consciously bring God into my large and small decisions, and do a decent job of living contemplatively. But, I still realized I was always feeling like I just didn’t have enough time: rush, rush, rush.
I recently met with my spiritual director and we talked about this sense I have of life being ever so full: two jobs, kids, fiancé, family, friends, etc. It’s all great, wonderful stuff that fills my life. It’s not like I would give any of it up. So how do I get rid of this sense of needing to do something, to stop doing something so I have more space and time?
After one of our silent periods of prayer with my spiritual director it came to me. It’s not about doing or not doing something. It’s about being differently. I DO have enough time with God. I DO have everything I want. I just need to see it differently. I’ve got it all already and I AM being fed by it.
I led a retreat at Dayspring Silent Retreat Center recently, and as I was introducing the theme for the weekend, I said that the silence was a time of abundance, not lack and that I knew that might be a different perspective, but to try it. We could focus on this being a time of deep listening instead of not talking. Funny how some form of the advice we give is meant for ourselves. I love the silence and the listening it holds, but I too needed to take a look at my general spiritual perspective.
A simple shift in how I see things and suddenly I feel better. Okay, so I’m still tired, but I am coming from a place of abundance, not lack and that makes all the difference.
What is your experience?