How to create rhythm in times of uncertainty
Is it really only the start of week two? This time of fearful uncertainty and world pandemic - haven’t we been here for months already? How will we keep going for another month or three or more?
Maybe you’ve been practicing the 30 second retreat - the post on my blog last week has been shared and commented on more than any other. (if you missed it, it’s here - just click) Making the most of this unexpected time. Unexpected - we’re either self isolating with little to do to fill our days, or even busier than ever if we're key workers struggling to cope with what’s going on.
photo from Unsplash by Anthony Tran
Life is different. The world is different. The situation changes from day to day. Hour to hour. And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
So I thought it best to concentrate on the One who never changes, and not on what’s going on around me. i no longer listen to the hourly news. Once a day in the evening is sufficient, thank you. I’m self-isolating - walking and reading and writing; tidying the house and the garden, phoning friends and rediscovering the lost art of writing proper letters. And the days fly past. if I’m not careful, the moments fritter away, I forget which day it is, and my eyes no longer keep looking to Jesus.
I need a rhythm. Not routine - that word sounds far too rigid and disciplined and frankly boring! “I broke lose for one day from routine, from drudgery and harness,” says a character in Jessie Fothergill’s ‘The First Violin.’ We don’t want drudgery, harness, routine .
What we need is a life-giving rhythm to our days.
Monasteries and convents and holy places have rhythms of prayer, or the Liturgy of the Hours, often called by their Latin or Greek names - Matins (middle of the night!) Lauds (dawn) Prime (first hour of daylight) Terce (third hour) Sext (noon) Nones (ninth hour) Vespers (sunset) Compline (end of the day).
Lovely - except that there’s no way I’m going to be doing all that, if I’m totally honest.
But three times a day I eat - that’s life giving. Why not three times a day to have life giving moments with God? Morning, noon and night. I’m bound to forget - so perhaps an alarm on my iPhone set to remind me. That’s what the church bells are for - to call people to remember to pray. We just do it digitally now .
And how to spend a few moments at each of our three set times? Four suggestions - and you’ll have your own ideas.
- pray for our world; for family and friends; for our key workers; our church family ……
- read through the Psalms. I like using the 30 method. Day 1: read Psalm 1 plus 30 several times = Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, 121; Day 2: Psalm 2 plus 30 several times = Psalm 2, 32, 62, 92, 122. Right through to day 31 when you read the whole of Psalm 119. Maybe divide up your reading between the 3 times a day?
- BE. Sit and just BE. Maybe enjoy looking at signs of the burgeoning of spring. Invite Jesus to BE with you and relish his company.
- Sing. Listen to a worship song; or bird song; or the song of your heart. Sing out loud or silently. (better out loud?)
What will you do? And when will you do it - when will you have the times that give your day rhythm and joy? That will be life giving?
And when you’re needing to get away from it all why not read a book about a long walk in France, to take your mind off other things?
“I wanted to send you a quick note to tell you how much I have loved reading walking back to happiness at bedtime the last couple of weeks. I have really been blessed by the story and by your wonderful writing style Penelope. I really think it can be such a great encouragement to people ….. I love Everything about it😊” - JY, pastor in Virginia, USA
