Fifth Week of Lent: (Mar 21st to Mar 27th)

"God brought me out into a spacious place; God rescued me because God delighted in me."

Psalm 18

The Gift of Sacred Space...

Part of finding joy in the wilderness includes receiving the gift of space. The spaciousness of the wilderness somehow makes us aware of just how cluttered and chaotic our inner landscape can become.

Lent reminds us that the wilderness is part of God's rescue plan, partly because it opens us up to being rescued or at least makes us aware of our need for repair.

A simple idea:

It's hard to get a handle on our inner clutter or bring order to the chaos churning within us. When things get too hectic or complex, organizing, tidying or decluttering is a simple place to start. Cleaning our room or organizing a pile of clutter is something we can all do. Caring for our immediate environment and the physical spaces we occupy is an extension of caring for ourselves. Just look around any room in the house, notice the clutter; see the little things you could organize or repair in 30 minutes or less. Then fix it. It's helpful to pay attention to the clutter traps that impact your most basic routines. Clearing these will make the biggest difference. This week enjoy the gift of a little more space or a least a slightly clearer path forward.

Going deeper:

Organizing a small space may seem trivial, but it holds a deeper meaning for us spiritually. The wilderness or challenging moments that feel like wildernesses reveal the need to care for our inner life; to reduce the clutter and the trip hazards of the heart. Moments of silence and stillness make room for the cry of the heart to be heard. These cries can be some the most honest and most effective prayers we could ever pray. This is the sacred space that we all carry within us.

Create a Sacred Space

We all need a place that makes it easier spend time with God in transformative ways. To accomplish this, I encourage you, if you have not already done so, to establish a sacred space that makes it easier for you to care for your inner life or your soul. We all need a place to relax, feel at home and open ourselves up to becoming more like the God we love.

If you already have a sacred space you might like to revisit it and refresh it.

You don't need to pepper the space with overly religious symbols or make it feel like a church. But you can if you want to. It's up to you. Often choosing a few meaningful items, like a family photo, a candle and prayer card or even inspirational postcard is all it takes.

Here are a few items or places to consider:

The dining room table: Let the centerpiece reflect the values at the center of your family.

A recycled, refinished or restored item: God is in the business of restoration. Making old things new is a biblical idea.

Clean or tidy your desk: Let the tidy space express your own inner desire to let God tend to your heart. Other will only see a tidy space, but you and God will both know the meaning of this covert prayer.

Bring the gift of nature inside: Sprout a few seeds or keep a living plant in your sacred space. Think of all the ways Jesus used nature in his parables to express the mystery of God's kingdom. Plant your own parable.

Use your artistic skills or crafty-creative side: It's part of you so it should be part of your sacred space too.

Make it portable: It might not be possible to bring your entire prayer corner with you, but it's possible to put together a few things that are both meaningful and movable. Pack them up and bring them with you to work, to school, to church, on a walk or on retreat. It's just a way to remember that God is always with you.

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