A New Format

Previously, I have been using a tool of journalling, of filling in the blanks, "I did....." and "I am.....", under the heading "Damn I'm Good".

That format motivated me to see the gems in the everyday soup, and to name those gems, harvest them and build on them.

I haven't blogged for a very long time.

My current passion is a format that mimics that of the hundreds of bloggers who are doing a month-long challenge in October to post on their blog on a particular theme for 31 consecutive days.

I like a challenge.

I'm not formally stepping up to the plate. But in my own space, here, I'd like to try this and see where it takes me.

I'm not here to motivate anyone else but myself. I don't feel like I've got the hang of this yet, and wouldn't want to lead anyone else down my wayward path. But for myself, hey, why not. I've got nothing to lose!

So, this month, I'll be checking in here on my progress as I challenge myself to domestic godess-ness each and every day. It doesnt have to be anything spectacular or blog-worthy. Nothing fancy or over the top. Just some simple progress, one step after the other, whatever that looks like. As long as Il, doing something, moving ever so slowly in the right direction.

Today, I washed about 3 sink-fulls of dishes. A daily habit of washing the dishes continues to evade me, but today, I kicked the dishes' butt. I still have many more dirty dishes. Probabky more dirty than clean. But that's not the point, is it? No. The point is I'm moving in the right direction.

And furthermore, I washed out the dish drying rack, too. Take that, grime!!

I'm going to go pack lunches now, and set a back-up alarm to ensure the morning goes smoothly. And set out clothes. Sha-bam.

That's a good day in my books. Hey I even sent out two job applications today, to boot. Thumbs up. Way up.

Is my heart open or closed?

Today's reading is set at the well in Samaria, when Jesus asks a Samarian woman for a drink of water.  (John 4:5-15)

I used the Gospel Contemplation form of prayer, where after reading the passage a couple of times, I close my eyes and immerse myself in the scene.

I became the Samarian woman.  It was scorching hot out, full sun, midday.  As I approached the well and saw a strange man there, I became uneasy and wary.  I noticed that no one else was around, and I wasn't sure if I was safe.

Then the man spoke to me.  I dared not look at him.  He asked me for a drink of water.  I was shocked!  Was this a trick?  What was his motive?  Surely this man did not need my help, I thought.  Why is he speaking to me anyways?  His kind don't speak to my kind; it's just unheard of.

But then I noticed that I didn't sense any danger.  I didn't feel threatened, and there were no bad vibes on my radar.  I considered his request.  I trusted my instincts and let down my guard.  I looked at the man before me.

He looked like a kind man, and he looked very thirsty.  I filled up my bucket and gave it to him to drink.

Summary:

At first I was shaken up by the situation because of what I perceived to be happening, based on my biases and assumptions.  My heart was closed and judgmental.  I was full of doubt and skepticism.

When I looked through the lens of my heart, I saw a humble, gentle man who was truly thirsty and in need of my help.  I had a bucket, and he did not.  I had access to something that he needed, and there was more than enough for us to share.  When I opened my heart, I felt compassion, kinship, and a call to service.  I helped my brother because I wanted to, and because I could.

Plug Into God

I am part of an ecumenical Week of Guided Prayer, based on the Ignatian prayer tradition.

I was given a poem to read based on scripture, and then reflected on whatever stood out from the poem.  I then sat quietly with the phrase that popped out.  This form of prayer is called Lecto Divina.

"... I have even maintained your freedom to go astray...."

When meditating on this phrase, I started to think about how I get to choose when to be conscious or unconscious of God's presence in my life.

I imagined that I had a socket on the top of my head, and that whenever I wanted to, I could reach out and grab hold of God's electrical power cord, and plug it into my socket.  I could be instantly connected to God in my real life, in the messy and choatic life I live, just by willing it to be so.

When I was Plugged Into God, I heard Him tell me,

"You Are Mine.  I Love You."

That comforted me a lot, and filled me up with warmth and love.  I felt tears of joy well up in my eyes.  I sat and basked in God's love for a few more moments, and then thanked God for this beautiful experience.