thesoulpurposedotorg

In the past month, I’ve really begun to feel the weight of the responsibilities in my life…..I just want God to make my life better – not super or even great – just plain steady and peaceful – of course I want it right now too.

J.H.

This is from a dear friend of mine, a generous, beautiful man who will gladly give you everything he has if you need it and expect nothing in return. So my friend, let’s see if The Practical Mystic can be of any help to you….in five minutes or less, preferably.

First, as silly as this sounds, I want you to pay attention to your breathing.
. Breathe in through your nose as deeply as you can to the count of four.
. Hold your breath for the count of seven.
. Release through your mouth to the count of eight.

(See www.DrWeil.com for more in-depth information)

In with the good air..out with the bad. As you breathe in, imagine that this is God.s spirit entering your every cell. As you breathe out, imagine God taking your worries and fears from you. Do this a cycle of four times. Then if you can, just be in silence. As worries and to-do lists come to you, simply think .Lord Have Mercy. and let them pass. Practice this for five minutes, morning and evening, daily. Set a timer for five minutes so you don’t have to worry about when five minutes is up. After two weeks, up the time to 10 minutes.

Secondly, our breathing is a metaphor for life. There must be a balance between the in stroke and the out stroke. If you are a person who is seen as the caretaker of others and this is how you see yourself, it is like only exhaling. Eventually, you run out of oxygen and everyone suffers.

Thirdly, remember that we worship a triune God . Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. We are created in this Triune God.s image. Not just you, but every one of the people you worry about . children, family, friends. All have this divine image imprinted within them, whether they recognize it or not, calling them to life: breathe in the love of God, breathe out the fear of life.

Finally, after a time of silence, ask God to take your fear and replace it with clarity. When we are afraid, we tend to try to .fix outcomes. by controlling everyone and everything in our lives. This only leads to disappointment. Do your best in what is truly yours to do and leave the consequences to God. This is the practice of faith.