Preserving Power Mode
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
“I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
- Martin Luther
Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt guilty taking a nap...or asking to be alone in your room...or secretly driving around the block one...or even five times while enjoying your silent solitude in the car. Why? Why do we feel so bad?
I often get asked what I’ve learned in recovery, what I do to stay sober. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the permission to take care of myself, both physically and mentally. I used to drink because I felt overwhelmed and stressed. I drank to numb the insecurities I felt as a working mom, a wife and a Christian woman. I drank to escape the feeling that I wasn’t good enough, as I subconsciously compared myself to others. I drank to ease the self-imposed pressure to do more and be more. Everyone else around me always looked like they had it together. Why didn’t I feel how they looked?
While I rarely feel the insecurities I felt back then, life is still busy, demanding and unpredictable. I’m in one of those seasons right now where I feel trapped inside a pressure cooker. I have a freshman, sophomore and junior in high school. I work part-time and watch an infant. We’re in the middle of a home renovation while initiating the college search and responding to the daily demands of teenaged priorities including, but not limited to: friend groups, exams, prom, graduation parties, Nerf Wars (IYKYK) and this season’s trending swimsuit styles. Oh, and I write sometimes.
For every task I get to cross of my to-do list, I add three more. I find myself more irritable on these days. I’m less patient. I’m perpetually pursuing this sense of completion...in a hurry. If I just do this quick, or finish that now, I can finally relax. But despite my best efforts over the years to organize and prioritize, I have yet to experience that sense of accomplishment. It’s always just a little out of reach. I’m never ever “done.” There’s always more to do.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be released from these pressures, but I have found relief in the process. After multiple promptings to consider meditation, I learned that all my preconceptions about meditating were unfounded. I’d assumed it was just an Eastern religious practice popular among the free spirits of the world. I didn’t realize it’s a spiritual discipline that’s encouraged throughout the Bible (Genesis 24:63, Isaiah 26:3, Joshua 1:8, Matthew 6:6, Psalm 1:2).
Meditation takes practice because it’s counterintuitive to how the world measures our days. According to the dictionary, to meditate means to think deeply or focus one's mind for a period. That requires two things I never seem to have: focus and time. I can’t concentrate long enough to complete a grocery list in one sitting.
The Mayo Clinic says that “during meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.” Sign me up! The Mayo Clinic also goes on to say that “the emotional benefits of meditation include gaining a new perspective on stressful situations, building skills to manage your stress, increasing self-awareness, focusing on the present, reducing negative emotions, increasing imagination and creativity and increasing patience and tolerance.” (Meditation: A Simple Fast Way to Reduce Stress)
Why do we long for a day at the spa? What’s the purpose of controlled breathing in child labor? Why are 911 operators even toned and patient, repeatedly asking callers to calm down? What do we tell our children when the site of blood from a scraped knee induces tears of hysteria? When our mind is focused and our body is calm, we’re better equipped to function. We can think more clearly, react more safely and work more efficiently. God created us to slow down in order to speed up.
Meditating can look slightly different for everyone, but the objective is the same. Mindfulness. For me, I sit alone for 10-15 minutes with my eyes closed and my air Pods in to block out any noise. I silence my phone. I listen to nature sounds or a guided meditation where a soft voice prompts me for self-reflection or contemplation on a specific bible verse. At first, I felt silly. I was afraid someone in my family might see me. But now, after experiencing the overwhelming peace and relief, I could care less!
It’s here in these moments, when the distractions are sequestered, and the noise of self-nagging is silenced that I relax and gain perspective about what is important: the present. My outlook goes from stressed, to strong. I gain confidence to cope. I have yet to regret these 10-15 minutes. It’s never felt like a withdrawal from my time, it’s an investment! I gain increased energy and renewed competency when I stop long enough to quietly recharge. I’m more productive and positive with the remainder of my time.
A still mind offers rest to our body and refuge to our soul.
In these moments, I hear God most clearly. If prayer is how we talk to God, meditating is how we listen. Sometimes I feel His presence. Other times, I receive clarity about a pressing issue. But every time, I am bathed in the reassurance that I'm not alone in the pressure cooker. He encourages and empowers, infusing me with confidence and strength. (Philippians 4:13) Meditating improves my conscious contact with God. The peace I feel and the perspective I find awakens my senses and silences my stressors. Where does this inner harmony come from? How can I go from anxious to accepting? The only answer I can believe in, is God. It’s in the still silence that I can see clearly enough to find His refuge.
We’ll never be everything all the time to everyone. We can’t do it all. We’re not supposed to. It’s ok to take a break. Learning to set boundaries with our own agendas allows time for us to gain the energy we need by reconnecting us to The One with infinite strength. We just have to stop and sit still long enough to find it, to feel Him.
Practice Because We’re Imperfect
Check out the ABIDE app. It’s Christian meditation organized by spiritual disciplines, areas of growth and types of need. (I receive no compensation for the recommendation).
Take two minutes today to sit still in silence. Close your eyes. If distractions try to push their way in, gently push them back out. This takes practice to retrain our brains to be still. We aren’t used to it! See if you can work up to five minutes by the end of the week. It’s ok to REST! Here’s proof: