Welcome, Wednesday, come on in!
In the same way you would invite a friend into your home, or you’d gladly welcome a break from the busyness of life, every circumstance and moment we face offers opportunity to welcome The Divine.
Renowned psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, is widely quoted for the following wisdom and insight: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”
So, whatever “stimulus” and “response” you may be facing today / this week / this month / this year, may we invite you in this moment to pause and give space to welcome The Holy.
“Welcome, God, come on in.”
-With Joy
For visual support with your “creating space practice,” feel free to use this month’s offered illustration as an aid for spiritual praxis in your quiet time.
Pause for Thought
“There is space between where you have been, where you are now, and where you are headed. And in this space, you will become afraid. Afraid of all your past mistakes, afraid of every step you take today, and more so afraid of all the steps you will take every day after. But it is in this space that you can truly grow. For the fear is simply part of the journey, and to walk the road is to walk alongside the fear.”
Watering the Soul by Courtney Peppernell
Pause for Practice
In the same way you would invite a friend over for coffee, The Welcoming Prayer is a personal invitation you make to God to enter your space.
Whether it’s welcoming God’s presence to be with you on the drive home from work, or in the middle of a frustrating situation, or right here and now while reading these very words, this prayer welcomes God into the everyday realities of your life through a posture of invitation.
We invite you now to pause, breathe deeply, and take a few moments to pray the following prayer:
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today because I know it’s for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval, and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, person, or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and God’s action within.
Amen.
The Welcoming Prayer by Father Thomas Keating
Pause for Examination
Take a few reflective moments to consider what “there is a space” could look like in your life as you reflect on Viktor Frankl’s wise words. Ask God if there’s an invitation in this quote for you: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
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- Click here for previous month’s art offerings
P.S. In the same way this little guy sees his mom clearly for the first time, may your moments of space, too, provide you with fresh eyes to see God’s presence at work.
