Do You Have a Plan in Place?

Because of the historic nature of this election, we have been asked again and again by our friends, communities, and leaders, "Do you have a voting plan?" We have been encouraged to set our intention and to follow through. I trust you are honoring the gift and responsibility of democracy by doing so.

But there is an even greater liberty which we must guard, our spiritual liberty. And, for this too, we honor and protect our own and others' gift of inner freedom by making and following through with a plan which allows us to access that freedom in times which may become chaotic (a friend in Chicago reports that already glass windows are being covered in plywood in the event of rioting).

Perhaps you have already made plans for where and with whom you will be on election day or evening, but do you have a plan in place for establishing and re-establishing your anchor in God should outer and inner circumstances create a dis-orienting chaos?

You need such a plan. How you manage your energy matters. It matters for your own groundedness, integrity and harmony. But the ripple of your set intention and follow-through extends far beyond your own body. Soul friends, energy mentors energy. The energy you transmit influences the energy around you. And there's no faking it. You will either exude groundedness and stability, or you will not. For the benefit of all, why not have a plan for tending to your own energy?

Last week's meditation mentioned how some women in labor choose a focal object so as not to get lost in the in the overwhelm of birthing. A breath prayer has long operated as a sort of embodied focal point for me in times of overwhelm.

Named a breath prayer because it is so short (usually just 6-8 syllables), you can pray it rhythmically with your inhale and exhale. The name also evokes our remembrance that the Holy Spirit is the One who gives us the breath of life or who “breathes us,” animating us through the prayer this One unceasingly prays within us (Romans 8:26-27).

This prayer isn't constructed from your mind (where you and I are always seeking security and understanding). Instead it arises from the depths of our desire and our need, our poverty of spirit.

Over the years I have had a number of different breath prayers. The first one was very elemental: Jesus, hold me. I needed security, not the illusions of security that I kept longing for in finances, relationships, positions or things. Later, my prayer became Sovereign God, help me let go. The breath prayer given to me for this season is Reality, ground me.

For me, these prayers are always accompanied by an image. When I prayed Jesus, hold me I pictured myself in his embrace, often weeping. When I prayed Sovereign God, help me let go I pictured the hand of God gently and persistently unfurling my fingers from the tight grip they held on a steering wheel. Today as I pray Reality, ground me, I picture roots extending from my feet, diving deep down into the earth, and drawing up an abundance of resourcing to serve me in the present moment.

Entering into these images has also become an important part of prayer for me. Images may or may not speak as deeply to you as they do to me, but if images are given to you, you are wise to enter into them; they are a gift of the Spirit for your healing.

Why not take the time to discover your own current breath prayer? The process is simple and will take you only a few minutes. These steps are adapted from a book entitled The Breath of Life: A Workbook by Ron DelBane.

STEP ONE
Sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and remind yourself that God loves you. Place yourself in God's compassionate presence. Perhaps, you'll call to mind a passage of scripture that places you in God's presence. Consider “The Lord is my shepherd” (Ps. 23:1) or “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10) Perhaps you will picture yourself beheld in God's compassionate gaze.

STEP TWO
With your eyes still closed, imagine that God is calling you by name. Hear God asking you: “(Your name), what do you want?”

STEP THREE
Answer God with whatever comes directly from your heart. Your answer might be a single word, such as peace or love or forgiveness. Your answer could instead be a phrase or brief sentence, such as “I want to feel your forgiveness” or “I want to know your love.”

Because the prayer is personal, it naturally rises out of our present concerns….Your response to God’s questions “What do you want?” becomes the heart of your prayer.

STEP FOUR
Choose your favorite name or image for God. Choices could include God, Jesus, Creator, Teacher, Light, Lord, Spirit, Shepherd, Love, Mama.

STEP FIVE
Combine your name for God with your answer to God’s question “What do you want?” You then have your prayer. For example:

What I Want Name I Call God Possible Prayer
Peace God Let me know your peace, O God.
Love Jesus Jesus, let me feel your love.
Rest Shepherd My Shepherd, let me rest in you.
Guidance Eternal Light Eternal Light, guide me in your way.

What do you do if several ideas occur? Write down various possibilities and then eliminate and/or combine ideas until you sense fit. I like to engage my body's wisdom by feeling how each prayer senses in my body.

STEP SIX
Practice. I like to set my intention at the beginning of the day by taking a few minutes (perhaps even before I get out of bed) to repeat this prayer, linking it to my inhale and exhale. Find other times of the day to practice it as well, perhaps at a lunch break, or when you get in the car. Soon you will find that more than you returning to this prayer, this prayer returns to you, nurturing and sustaining you before you even have the consciousness to know your need.