To Meditate, October 20, 2011 Daily Reflection

Jake pretending to meditate

“Mommy, look I am meditating!” Jake said as he sat peacefully on that sandy beach in Destin, Florida.

Meditate – to reflect upon or contemplate.

Jake thinks it’s hilarious to meditate. It’s because in one of the speeches I give on my retreats I talk about prayer and listening to God. I have a story about how I meditated and it has a humorous twist that I won’t reveal, you have to come on a retreat to hear it! Anyway, he just loves posing like this for the camera and laughing about it.

What he doesn’t understand as a 6 year old boy is that there is so much value in meditation. It is good to meditate and reflect on our lives. It is good to sit in silence and listen to the world around you. It is good to quiet your mind and listen to God. We need to find time to quiet our lives.  Falling in bed unconscious each night doesn’t count as meditation.

When was the last time you stopped? I mean completely; just stopped everything, no TV, no computer, no book, no phone, no kids, no work, no chores, no nothing and still remain conscious? Try it. Carve out 30 minutes after the kids are in bed or before they wake up. Go to a comfortable place that is quiet and peaceful sit comfortably, relax your body, take deep breaths and then breathe regularly. Think through your crazy day and schedules and then put them aside, think your thoughts and them let them go. Just be there in the silence of your mind. Reflect on what matters most in your life your family, your faith, your life. Try it. Sit in the silence and meditate.

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