Mindfulness

There is a lot of talk about mindfulness these days. It is something I teach, even to my young students. It involves focusing on the present moment and accepting your thoughts and feelings, with no judgment. As a teaching tool, it is meant to calm us as we try to regulate ourselves in the midst of the flurry of what is going on around us.

My naturopath actually brought up the concept of mindfulness again, suggesting I would improve my digestion if I practiced mindful eating. What is that about? It means focusing on just eating – not TV, reading a book, or texting. The theory is that if my body is directing its energies to just one thing – enjoying my meal – that there is less interference to a healthy digestive process.

I thought of all the times I try to sneak in a few “extras” while I am eating. I can quickly touch base with a friend or family member. I can check the weather or the latest news. I can finish the chapter in the book I’ve been reading. None of these things promotes calm thinking and relaxing and enjoying my meal.

As I think about it, I realize that the mindfulness concept applies to our digestion of Scripture as well. Because I know reading God’s Word daily is important for my spiritual health, I make an effort to fit it into my day. Unfortunately, that frequently means I am snatching a few minutes of Bible reading while I eat my breakfast, before I get on with the rush of the day.

Starting my day with God’s Word is a good idea, but the way I am going about it is not particularly healthy. When I try to cram in Scripture reading in amongst other things, I do not truly gain the benefits I should from what I am reading.

Here’s where mindfulness comes in. Our bodies need spiritual nourishment. Like a good meal, our Bible reading should be a time to sit down and focus only on it, relishing in all its beauty, depth, and wonder.

I know some days it seems hard to carve out that time to devote specifically to the Scriptures. My to do list is long, both at work and at home. I am antsy in the mornings to get going on all that I need to accomplish in the day.

I think it definitely time for me to practice more mindfulness in many areas of my life. Taking hold of the moment is crucial to a healthy well-being.

When that comes to my time with God that means taking some devoted time just for Him. He doesn’t want to be our friend just when we have a few moments. He wants to be actively involved in our lives all day, every day.

I can hear some of you saying things like – “I have little time to spare with my little ones. How do I devote time to God’s Word?” Or – “I have so many demands in my life, how do I make God’s Word a priority?”

Well, my friend, I don’t have a magic answer for you. I do suggest you consider what works best for your lifestyle and time in life. Starting in my high school days, I began reading a Bible chapter each night, just before bed. It calmed me. In later years, when little ones kept me busy, I was too tired at the end of the day to consider reading much of anything. More often than not, my Scripture reading was captured moments in the day when my little ones were occupied. Today I prefer to read some Scripture in the morning before I get on with my day. I want to have some of God’s Word to ponder and focus on as I go about my day. That works best when I take a few moments to sit in my comfortable rocking chair and just let God’s Word sink into my soul.

We most certainly need a spot and a time where we can be mindful about God’s Word. It is essential to our spiritual growth. It doesn’t have to be a long passage of Scripture. I frequently just dwell on a few verses that touch my spirit that day.

God’s Word suggests this for us:

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3 NIV)

Peace be with you, my friend.

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