“Who has time for that?” “Nope, sorry, my schedule is full.” “I can’t squeeze you in. Looks like we will have to do it some other time.” In this crowded, cramped and crazy life it seems we don’t have time for anything new. Nor do we even really have enough time for what is already on the calendar, our to-do lists or our overflowing blackberry. Too many plates are spinning already (and some, quite honestly, are crashing to the floor and exploding into thousands of ceramic shards.)
What do we make space for? Take a moment – a short one, I promise – and think about what you spend your time doing and what it is that is important to you. Ask yourself, “What do I make space for?”
I have just finished my GCI online seminary class on Ministerial Leadership. A lot of the class was self-analysis and self-assessment. A hard but healthy thing to do. One of the required texts was Spiritual Disciplines Handbook – Practices that Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun. She gives a very good yet fairly simple definition of spiritual practices (some call them disciplines or spiritual formation.) She refers to spiritual practices as “ . . . making space for God in my life.” (Handbook p. 16) That is going to be a question I ask myself often. “Am I making space for God in my life?” I’d like it to become a mantra, “Making space for God.”
God is everywhere so it’s not like he needs us to invite him into our home, our work place, our classroom. But are we aware of his presence there? He won’t force himself into or onto our plans, pain, problems, parties, parades or psyche. We have to “make space” for him there, in our lives, thoughts, relationships and hearts. I learned and was reminded of the many ways we can make space for God. They are intentional practices that open ourselves up to seeing the desire God has put in our lives to desire an ever-deepening relationship with him. Yes, they are intentional, they take time and effort. But we can’t view them as “just another plate” that we have to keep spinning around. They are the gravity that keeps all the other plates up in the first place.
Tomorrow I will list some of the practices that help to “make space” for God in our lives. Until then . . . drink good coffee.
PMark
