I remember talking with my spiritual director about my work both as a spiritual director and at Cup of Cool Water, CCW, (mission is “to walk alongside youth who are homeless on their journey of reconciliation with themselves, God, and society). I was mentioning to him that sometimes it seems like the people I work with think I have a lot to offer and that I am really cool. Then there are times when I feel like the people I work with don’t think I have anything to offer and that I am a total dork. He sits there for a second and responds, “You are both and neither at the same time. However, there is only one thing that you can offer. What do you think that is?” Now I sit there for a second thinking about what I really have to offer people. With my mind running blank I shake my head and respond, “I don’t know.” He replies, “Space.”
That made total sense to me. I often get caught up in thinking I have to say the right thing or say something profound or cool. However, that is all about me and my ego. After this conversation I have noticed that in my own life and in the lives of the people I get to work with that we don’t create “space” for ourselves to be quiet and to process life.
I googled why it is important to create space or sacred space/places in our lives and one of the articles gave the following 7 reasons:
1. You need to rest to renew. It’s humanly impossible to just keep going without ever stopping to rest. Even machines need downtime for repairs and maintenance.
2. Quiet time helps you discover what’s important. You need quiet time to rediscover what you’ve neglected and to discover what is most important to you if you’ve never done so.
3. When it’s quiet, you can make order out of chaos. The time to examine your reasons for what you’re doing and to figure out some semblance of order that works for you is during times of quiet self-reflection.
4. There’s grace and spiritual renewal in quiet time. All the negatives attendant in everyday life can overshadow the good and positive that co-exist. You need quiet time to allow grace to suffuse you and your spirit to renew itself in those golden moments of quiet introspection.
5. Quiet time reinforces your sense of place in the universe. Since you are human and not a machine, you can put things into perspective. This is difficult when you’re crashing to meet a deadline or attempting to multitask. You need quiet time to do that
6. Reduce stress with regular quiet time. If you cannot escape stress, you can certainly do something to mitigate it. One quick and straightforward way to reduce stress is to carve out 10-15 minutes regularly to sit quietly, meditate, listen to music, go for a peaceful walk, or take a brief nap.
7. Quiet time helps you heal. Healing takes time and the body needs complete rest to jumpstart this process. Emotional wounds from anxiety and depression similarly benefit from quiet time. In a fast-pace world, stepping off the treadmill — as is necessary when sick or recuperating from serious illness — and allowing the quiet to envelope you are basic components in the overall healing process.
I believe that people need both a sacred space alone and a sacred space with another person to process their life. Do you have a place you like to go to be quiet? If not, I would encourage you to think of some places that might help you get centered. It might take a few tries and different locations before you find it. Also, it may change over time as well. So be patient with yourself as you explore. Do you have a person to talk with
about the joy and challenges of life? I believe that Spiritual Direction provides the room and freedom to process the delights and trials of our busy lives. I know that my spiritual director has become a person and space where I find I can rest, reflect, and restore.
If you want to learn more about Spiritual Direction I can be contacted via the website: www.yourstoryandaflashlight.com or by email: mark@yourstoryandaflashlight.com
List came from the following website: https://psychcentral.com/blog/7-reasons-why-you-need-quiet-time/
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