From the Shadow

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”

For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.

No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent.

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-10 (NAS)

As soon as summer began, I hit the ground running! On the last day of work, I headed out of town for a dynamic weekend with youth at church camp, I was home for a few days of working around the house and preparing for my next trip. After picking up a friend from the airport, we headed off to Tennessee for the School of Healing and Impartation. The schedule was demanding, but I enjoyed the fast pace and plentiful company! The rhythmic tide of summer brought me home again for a few days before my journey to Kentucky. My seminary class was full and we sat elbow to elbow all week long. In the evenings, I went home to a room in someone else's home. Having so little time to myself last week helped me realize again my need for time and space of my own. 

Tomorrow, I will have been home for a week. I have not settled into a regular schedule. In the midst of my random busy-ness, I am reminded of a task that helped me to develop a pattern of disciplines. Last year, I wrote a Rule of Life for myself - a list of the meaningful, helpful, valuable things I would like to remember to take time for regularly. It's time to look back at this, make some adjustments and begin to implement disciplines that I have neglected. 

Do you have a Rule of Life? Have you heard of this before? I had very limited exposure to the concept, but as I began to learn about the Rule of Life I was able to recognize where I had seen evidence of it in the lives of others. Rather than a list of tasks like a to do list, it is a reminder of the things we can do to nurture ourselves and participate in our relationship with God. The rule of life is a structure, like a spiritual house, a dwelling place. It is a means of establishing that time and space that we need as spiritual beings. Having such a structure provides an environment in which we can thrive - like a spiritual greenhouse. It also becomes a refuge, a covering for times of difficulty. 

God, you brought order to the chaos "in the beginning".

You created us in your image - to create and to have dominion.

Inspire us by the Holy Spirit to bring holy order and beauty to our lives.

We choose to set our lives apart as a dwelling place for you.

Open our eyes to understand your design

so that we can continue the work of Christ in the world.

Amen.