The past 3 mornings my alarm has gone off at 7:00 and I have rolled right out of bed.
No snooze, no pausing, or stretching. No chance given to fall back asleep.
Strangely I feel energized and awake. I'm ready to go!
For the first time in forever (no, I'm not going to start singing a songs from the latest Disney princess movie, my daughters have that covered) I know exactly how I am going to spend the first chunk of time each morning. This plan gives me something to look forward to and I feel a strong sense of direction and purpose.
Step 1; Engage in Meaningful Prayer.
This is the first really spiritual thing I've written about since I made the decision to no longer hold back on sharing that side of my experience (I told you about it here. in case you missed it). I've had some very interesting experiences since I made that decision but I'll save them for later.
Whether you will admit it or not, EVERYONE has a spiritual side. A connection to the world, to nature, to other people, to a deity or life force. It's there! Many of you will relate directly to what I share. Others may need to translate the message to fit.
From February 13, 2002 to February 17, 2004 was a missionary serving in Madrid Spain. I had countless goals during this 2 year period. Some were personal, others were created and worked towards with others.
The longest lasting and most consistent goal of this 2 year period was this.
My knees will hit the floor before my feet in the morning and before my head hit my pillow at night.
I never missed a morning. One of my greatest successes in life.
Why was this so important to me? Because the work I had signed on to do was literally impossible to do on my own. So I "counseled with the father".
I poured out my gratitude for the opportunities I had been given. I gave thanks for past successes and failures. Reflected on lessons learned and others I was still trying to figure out. I asked for specific guidance of where to go, who to talk, to and what to say
Starting out the morning in prayer propelled my day forward in the right direction. It was just the beginning of a daily conversation with a friend.
I prayed, and prayed, and prayed for patience in understanding people. A companion who wanted to stay home all day, make apple pies and listen to gangster rap. Kids throwing rocks and sticks and saying all kinds of profane things. I prayed to not want to turn around and kick their asses.
I prayed a lot!
Ending the day in the same way brought me peace of mind and clarity. It allowed me to rest well knowing where I had given it my all and where I could improve.
11 years later my life has changed in almost every way imaginable.
I am a husband and father. I am an advisor for an amazing group of young men, I own 12 fat chickens. I run on trails, I am a business owner, I pretend to be a writer.
My life is busy in very different ways from the time I spent walking the cobbled streets of Spain. And when It's not busy I often make it that way. Being pulled in so many different directions day after day causes me to go through cycles of gaining and losing focus on the most critical ingredients for happiness. Including prayer.
Yes, I still pray.
I pray when I eat meals, I pray at night with my family and later with my wife. I pray in church and I pray in difficult times.
The problem is I have stopped "praying always".
I've stopped having the one on one conversations. I do it from time to time but it is no longer a habit. And, as a result I no longer feel the level of guidance and direction I felt as a missionary and at other times in my life where prayer has been dynamic and frequent.
I want it back!
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