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INTRO

I find that a deep, consistent prayer life is very difficult to sustain and even engage in.  God made me to be a doer, a lover of crossing off the items on my list. I’m someone who loves to achieve. When I pray about something, I’m usually already acting out my solution as I’m praying.  Simply, I find it difficult to be still.  During our staff chapel this week we walked through the Jesuit tradition of “The Examen of Consciousness.” While any traditions can be taken to an extreme I found the exercise helpful and thought I would explain the steps in 4 different blog posts of the next couple days. Information used from the Jesuit Society of Jesus.

Step #2: Examination. Spend A Moment Looking Over your Day With Gratitude. You can read Step 1 here.

Be concrete with this step and let special moments or events spring to mind. This is also called the step of Examination. Simply put, “Today, in what ways have you experienced God’s love and grace?” What are your intentions today? If you love coffee, remember the smell of it, the taste of good food, children laughing, a beautiful smile, a word of encouragement, a thought that came from God. A key component of this step is to take stock of what you gave and received. For those doers out there this step can be easy to skip and go straight to the action item or next steps. Force yourself to only reflect. Thank God for favors you have received and the permanent gifts in your life. Recall how He has given you strength in specific circumstances over the last day. To laugh in the midst of difficulty, for family, friends, the smile of your child’s face as you come home. As you move through the big and small details, give thanks for how He sustains you and for His presence in and through it all.

Simple Next Step: Practice only reflecting for 3-5 minutes.

I would encourage you to take only 4 minutes, perhaps even right now, and take whatever steps you need to calm your mind and spirit and reflect on the large and small favors He has given to you. Lord show me what has been happening to me and in me this day.

What Did You Think/Experience?

What were you made aware of during your 4 mins?

Did it feel like a long time?

Did God remind you of some thought or idea?

Did the exercise feel “weird?

I find that a deep, consistent prayer life is very difficult to sustain and even engage in.  God made me to be a doer, a lover of crossing off the items on my list. I’m someone who loves to achieve. When I pray about something, I’m usually already acting out my solution as I’m praying.  Simply, I find it difficult to be still.  During our staff chapel this week we walked through the Jesuit tradition of “The Examen of Consciousness.” While any traditions can be taken to an extreme I found the exercise helpful and thought I would explain the steps in 4 different blog posts of the next couple days. Information used from the Jesuit Society of Jesus.

Before you start try to be in a place where you will be least likely to be disturbed, distracted, etc. Jesuits would often light a candle to mark the beginning of their time in prayer.

Step #1:  Recall that you are in the presence of God. (Thanksgiving)

No matter where we are in creation we are in the midst of God. As you begin to quiet yourself you become aware of God in you and in the people and events around you. Ask the Holy Spirit to let you see all those around you as He sees them.  If you have difficulty quieting yourself, being able to concentrate there is another tradition that I find helpful.  Because I like to “do” things I often need something tactile to concentrate on.  The Jesuits would have a tradition of taking a deep breath in while Saying Jesus’ name and then exhaling slowly while saying something similar to, ” Would you grant me your mercy today.”  They would often spend the first couple minutes of their prayer time focusing on their breath while saying His name and asking for His mercy in their life.  Personally, I found this an extremely helpful exercise in simply calming me down and entering into what Jesus would have for me during that time.

Simple Next Step:  Practice being quiet for 4 minutes.

I would encourage you to take only 4 minutes, perhaps even right now, and take whatever steps you need to calm your mind and spirit and reflect on His goodness for you and those around you.  Lord, we realize that all, even myself, is a gift from you.

What Did you Think and/or Experience?

What were you made aware of during your 4 mins?

Did it feel like a long time?

Did God remind you of some thought or idea?

Did the exercise feel “weird?”

When I was a child and living at home, I remember getting grounded, spanked, chastised, given the “you disappoint me line” when I “talked backed” to my parents.  I course then proceeded to pout and rationalize that they just didn’t know what was best for me. Besides telling a lie, talking back was a definite “no, no” in the Herbold household.  Now that I have kids of my own, and I love them to pieces, but there are very few things that can upset me as quickly as them talking back to me. And afterwards they of course pout just like I did when they don’t get their way. I realize I have a serious lack of patience, and God is using them to work on me, but seriously, sometimes I feel like putting my head, or someones, through a wall. (I said I feel like that, not that I actually do that to anyone. )

While reading in Romans 9 today God reminded me that I sometimes, just as my kids, pout, and talk back to God when i don’t get my way.  Romans 9:20-24.

“But who are you O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “why did you make me like this?”

I am so thankful that He is much more patient with me than I am with my kids.  I’m working on it with His  help and strength and asking for forgiveness from Esther and Judah as I walk this journey with them. Most days I think that I am learning more about life from parenting than my kids are by my parenting.

What is God saying to you?

Here is the same passage taken from the Message. (This helps view the passage in a slightly different light)

Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you for one moment suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn’t talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, “Why did you shape me like this?” Isn’t it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? If God needs one style of pottery especially designed to show his angry displeasure and another style carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn’t that all right?

I have been reflecting on the special moments when my kids look at me. I thought a quick video would be a good reminder for me the next time I don’t pay attention to the depth behind each expression my child shares with me. During the process God met me. I love how He interrupts our journey to speak and remind us of truth. For me it was that even though I quickly forget the special moments He gives me with my kids, He has never forgotten anyone of the expressions of my face when I look to Him. He is faithful, He sees me, enjoys me, is proud of me, and loves to laugh with me. He has never forgotten.

I hope that my kids will always know how much their dad loved and loves them and that he treasures every moment with them.

I trust that He will also encourage and remind you of special moments with Him and others.

A big shout out to Carlos Whittaker and this post. It was the still images in his video that started me down this road…