Lent: Why?

Okay, as you can see from yesterday’s post, I’ve had Psalm 46 in my head, lately. The beginning of the verse is “Be Still”. I thought about “being still, and realized I wasn’t. Still.And thought I should be. So I set a goal to try, every day, for a sense of stillness.  What I think is now being labelled “mindfulness”. Taking the time out of the chaos that envelops us to simply know that God is God.  I had trouble sitting down and forcing myself to this blog today. So much to do. I’d already taken a time out for lunch with a friend–two hours lost!  I need to figure out why I feel I have to do this? No one else is going to care about my navel gazing.  What and why is “knowing God”? A mystical experience, maybe? Becoming a “better person”? I don’t want to do it as a personal self improvement exercise, though my self can always use some improvement.  Is there any significance to feeling the need to do this at this particular time?
Something perhaps to think about. If I can take the time.

 

Lenten Thoughts: Be Still . . .

For the last several days, Psalm 46:10 has been on my mind.  Actually, its been like an earworm–the song you just can’t get out of your head. “Be still, and know that I am God”

And then, it was Ash Wednesday, and my focus was brought back, however briefly, to God.  I realized then that I needed to be still. At least for a while.

Because I haven’t been. Still. Not even a little bit. Even though I am “retired” there seems to be so much to do, so many things to think about. Family things, financial things, health issues of our own and of our friends and families.  Add to that the constant chaos the news of our world  seems to bring. No matter how you get your news, it seems as if everything is chaotic, all the time.  Then there is social media, and the junk email and “special offers” that clog up my account, to the point that they can bury something important. Remedying such misses adds more to my “to do” list, more to worry about.

No, I am not still.  not even, or especially when, I go to bed.

So I spent some time on Ash Wednesday “being still”.  And remembering that there is God. I decided, during Lent, to take some time for stillness, for seeking spiritual and scriptural growth. To know that God, whatever inadequate words that we for a concept we can’t describe, is God is God, is God.

So now I’m worried that I won’t be able to stop all my thoughts and worries for some moments of Stillness. That I can’t be Still. That I just added one more thing to think about, to do, or not do and feel guilty.

Maybe I need to take a meditation class? Can I fit that in?