Creating Space

One thing I have started doing more regularly is creating space in my days. What the space is used for may be different depending on the day and how busy I am, but the intent is still the same. It's space to breathe, create, reflect, or simply live in the presence of God.

I've used this time to reflect on the past year and specific moments or seasons that were especially challenging for me. Practicing this during a move to a different place, not to mention a different state, eases some of the anxieties and worries that plague my mind. I won't say it's cured any sleeplessness I've experienced throughout my box-packing weeks, but it has helped lessen the mental burden of decision making.

Carving out time during the day to reflect, whether during a devotional or quiet time or taking a walk, can be a difficult thing to do. It is even more difficult to reflect when you don't know or understand what that looks like. Some might think reflecting is simply sitting in silence thinking about a specific topic, or perhaps some believe reflection looks more like taking a yoga class. Your reflection time can be spent however you choose to spend it. The challenge is finding a time and place to practice reflection free of too many distractions. We can't get away from them entirely, but some of them you can.

I prefer to write my reflections, no surprise there. I find it helpful to use a writing prompt to guide me through specific reflections about a time in my life or a season of life that was especially difficult through which to walk. Thinking back over the harder times in life gives me a chance to observe from a different perspective, and to ask these questions about that season: What happened during this season of life? How did you handle the hard parts of this season? How did you feel while you experienced this season? How did you see God working in this season during it, and how do you see what he did reflecting back on it?

The benefits of this practice are nearly limitless. By taking a walk back to the difficult parts of our lives and asking these questions we open ourselves up to deeper examination of the situation and our role in it. You might find deeply hidden feelings stirred up again during your reflection of a hard time in your life, and I would invite you to lean in to those feelings. Don't draw away from them too quickly. Just like rolling out your muscles can be extremely beneficial and also extremely painful, the emotions and feelings you experience during your reflections might help you discover your deepest self.

I listened to a podcast today where Emily P. Freeman, a renowned christian author, spoke on the power of naming. When you can finally put a name to the feeling stirring inside you the anxiety and the fear of not fully understanding it is expelled. Find the names of your emotions. Write them down. List them out.

Creating space in your life to reflect on past events is one way I find I draw closer to God. By practicing reflection I can clearly look back on my life and see his hand at work in specific situations. I may not have the full picture yet, but some day I'll be able to see the road map clearly.