Another gem from explorefaith.org. Week one is really over, but I just found it, so...
Introduction
Lent is a time to be intentional. It is more than giving up sweets for 40 days, or trying to be more devout. It is really a time to look seriously and intentionally at our lives – who we have been, who we are, and who we are becoming. Journaling is a way for us to embody this intention, because it gives us an environment for delving deeply into the bottomless well of our souls. Each week during Lent, take the time to use the journal as a spiritual practice for looking into the wonder you embody.
Week 1: Receptivity
We become so habituated to the routines of our lives, that we can find ourselves shut off from what is new, what is challenging, what takes us to the edge, what causes our heart to thump and our breath to shorten. Lent invites us to clear the channels – open the gates – unbar the doors that keep us safe and stuck in the comfortable patterns that are so familiar. Take time this week to consider how you are closed off to new experiences and begin to crack the walls that hold you enclosed.
Journaling Questions
What patterns are keeping me bound in routines that are shutting me off from the wonder and dynamism of life?
· In my work?
· In my family?
· In my community?
· In my soul?
I struggle still with being too reclusive, and using the Internet too much for some kind of relationship with others. The fact that I work full-time certainly prevents me from leading too solitary an existence. There's a balance I need to find - I enjoy solitude, but too much of it seems to lead me into depression. I've also neglected myself health-wise lately, and it's leading to a self-loathing that was so intense yesterday that it scared the hell out me. I opened up about it yesterday to my 16-year-old. Part of me felt bad for hitting him with such an adult conversation -should teenagers know that their parents can be that broken? But he accepted it with aplomb and wise words; healing words, at least, assuring me that I do have worth to him and to God. In that moment I needed a confessor; one who was wrapped in flesh and who loved me. I am finding that speaking my truth out loud helps direct me down a healthier path - my solitude has sometimes led to hiding things about myself that do best when exposed to light and the living waters of human solace and understanding.
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4 comments:
"What patterns are keeping me bound in routines that are shutting me off from the wonder and dynamism of life?
· In my work?
· In my family?
· In my community?
· In my soul?"
WOW - these are such good questions... ones i am going to really take the time to reflect on. thank you again for posting this website - i have really enjoyed it.
in my opinion, yes, i think teenagers do need to see their parents broken - if they don't see that example, how will they know it's okay to be broken?? you are such a wonderful mother and example, anne. you are real, and that's the best thing a parent can be for their child. i love you, sister! :)
Darla, I'm so glad that you're liking the same web site that I do. How nice is that. I really appreciate your thought about it being all right for teenagers to see their parents broken. Being the single mum, I am usually trying to be the rock for my kids, else I'm afraid the ground will look a bit shaky under their feet. But I agree with you - if they see me with real struggles they'll also know it's okay for them to have struggles and to talk about them. Thanks so much. I love you too, sister!
I think this is a perfect illustration of what Jesus said about "cleaning the inside of the bowl." It is probably the most authentic way to teach your 16 yr old about what salvation looks like now.
May you continue to know the SOZO of God.
Michael, thanks so much for such kindness and wise thought. I do have to go find out what "sozo" of God is tho!
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