So most of my life I thought meditation was not for me.

I usually had an abundance of energy and my thoughts and ambitions flooded my mind, making sitting and focusing on what seemed like nothing, in silence, both undesirable and unattainable. In high school I did a lot of sports and that kept me busy. In college I took a higher load than recommended, probably every quarter while keeping a job and social life at the same time. I chose a hard graduate program, which later resulted in a good job, with many perks, but also some very stressful days (probably same for most positions -ups and downs). Somewhere along the way in those college years, pushing myself to do it all actually pushed me over my metaphorical limit and I had my first encounter with panic attacks. Not fun. Instead of joining the hustle and bustle I’d intentionally seek out quiet spaces. Now my whole life I’ve sought being outside, particularly in the woods but for awhile there in college and when I first moved out of state, being out in nature was my lifeline to be grounded. I had to “escape” outside somewhere. Now that’s not a great outlook or mindset to have about your everyday life, right?

Somewhere between my college years, early professional years, and having a family, I made my spiritual life important to me. I prioritized it like I had all those other ambitions, and what I found and continue to find, changes me daily. The bible says to seek Christ-likeness. It references how God is the potter and we are the clay and how He is molding us into His image. How does that happen though? It happens from the inside-out. It happens in our hearts and in our minds. So what are we feeding our hearts and minds? What does this have to do with meditation?

All those times I’d go outside to clear my mind, was actually seeking a meditative state. I was getting rid of distractions to focus on the moment or focus on one thing in particular to review it and digest it, make sense of it. It was time I had to freely pray and notice God’s creations. This was me seeking meditation.

James Finley, the author of the book,  Christian Meditation, Experiencing the Presence of God, a Guide to Contemplation, says,

“This is the Good News of Christian faith - that God has left the door unlocked and even slightly ajar. God is waiting for you to open it and come walking through to experience that oneness with God that is the fullness of life itself. It is in the midst of this poetic imagery of passing through the door into God that we find ourselves in the living essence of the Christian faith. And it is here, too, that we find ourselves in the midst of the living essence of Christian meditation as a way of intimately realizing the eternal oneness with God that Christ came to proclaim.”

That’s a lot to digest, right? I’ve had to read it several times. God wants to be with us, and he wants us to want to be with Him! So how are you “with” God right now? Sometimes I specifically picture the Holy Spirit and sometimes I specifically picture Jesus. And other times I refer to God as God the Father. I think these names that come to mind are spirit led and help us to open up. Sometimes meditation happens sitting in silence, sometimes it happens by closing your eyes amidst chaos.

Meditation can look a lot like prayer. It's a state of mind you can enter into all throughout your day. Maybe at first you intentionally set aside 5 minutes of dedicated silence. Then you build to 10 and so on. Then one day you realize that while you were walking the dog or pulling weeds in the garden that you've found this revolving door where you and Jesus are in communion. The doors are open. The windows are open. The air is sweet and warm and it blows across your skin as you feel the comfort of walking with Jesus. 

I think meditation will look different for many people -and it isn’t about clearing all thoughts from your mind. In Christian meditation, it may be as if a conversation you've left off and you continually pick back up. It may be the breath prayer that is said quickly when you're short on time. It may be reviewing your day or what is happening in your life, but being aware of God’s touch in all that is around you. 

In my next blog post I’ll share 5 steps to Meditate, based on James Finley’s book mentioned above.   

How do you feel about meditation? Is there a time you’d like to share where you felt that connectedness to God?