I think of God, I am restless,
I ponder, and my spirit faints. Psalm 77:3
There I go again. My mind has wandered off the prayer path. I start off just fine, even joyful, as I enter a quiet time and space in the early morning. As I sink into the familiar pattern, my entire body relaxes into the comfort of knowing and being known. And all is well until I realize that my mind has been drifting and I have to reel it in. I try to trace the erratic path of my thoughts so I can find the moment I stopped praying and being attentive to God. How did I get here?
For as many years as I have had a daily prayer practice, I have also struggled. Time and time again I begin with deliberate focus and direction, only to succumb to the temptations of meandering and short cuts.
The disciplines of Lent are the same disciplines needed for traveling in the wilderness: pace yourself, get plenty of rest, drink enough water, stay in shape, pay attention, don’t go it alone, use a guide. Is it God’s sense of humor or order, that these are also the disciplines of daily living? Each requires mindfulness, and it is easy to wander off. The call of Lent is to repent. Return. Turn back to God.
The day ahead beckons. As I leave the space of quiet prayer, I set my heart and mind to look for God in the nooks and crannies of my day.
copyright © Anne E. Kitch 2013
