Enjoy your time with God!

Being an activist can be stressful, and starting a nonprofit adds to that stress. We're often up till midnight preparing for meetings, writing talking points, and planning our strategies. Each day brings new challenges.

I enjoy and am grateful for this deeply fulfilling work, but I found myself getting so stressed that I was becoming testy and forgetful and "not myself." I realized that my life was out of balance and considered going back into therapy. But God had a different plan.

During the Christmas service at First Baptist Church, Pastor John Jay talked about the desert monks of the early church and how a young monk had gone to an elder to ask for a "Word." By a "Word," he meant God's word for his life, a word of wisdom and direction. The elder monk replied, "Go to your cell and pray. There you will find your Word." This Quakerly advice from a Baptist spoke to my condition!

That night I was restless and couldn't sleep so I went into the living room to pray. I felt a lot of pain and confusion--the residues of too much work and not enough time to rest and reflect and process. Then my "angel of insomnia" spoke to me with a simple message: Meditate for 15 minutes each day. That was all, no more, no less. A gracious, not an onerous command. My heart said: I can do this!

I take such commands seriously. Ten years ago, I gave up alcohol and meat because I felt that was what God was calling me to do. Twenty years ago, God called me to fast during Ramadan and I have done so. I have tried to follow these commands faithfully and my life has improved as a result.

So I have been taking 15 minutes each day to meditate. I sit in my "prayer chair," read the Methodist Bible readings from the Daily Discipline, and also the daily passage from Sarah Young's Christian meditation classic  Jesus Calling. Then I set my timer and meditate for 15 minutes.  It's that simple.

I can't begin to describe how comforting this time of reflection has become. I look forward to it every day. It's like receiving a visit from one's Beloved. I now feel more in touch with myself and my Inner Guide. And I feel less stressed and more attentive to others.

It's an obvious truth, but we need to be reminded of it : exercise, whether physical or spiritual, makes a difference.

I also started a daily exercise program--10 minutes or so of Chi Gong and push ups every day. Chi Gong is a Chinese system of exercise that involved coordinating breathing (chi energy) with slow movements, like Tai Chi. I started doing Chi Gong 11 years ago when my wife Kathleen and I went on our cancer journey together. Chi Gong is a wonderful way to reduce stress and increase bodily awareness and fitness. I usually play meditation music as I do my Chi Gong movement.

When I started push ups in December, I was so out of shape  I could barely do 25. Now I do around 60.  As a result, my muscle tone has improved and I am feeling much better physically.

I am having similar results with my spiritual exercises, though they are harder to quantify. I am writing this blog as a note to myself to continue this practice, and hopefully encourage others to do likewise, if you find yourself stressed.

Yesterday, I missed my morning devotion because I had to get the an oil change. While waiting, I decided to go across the street to an Armenian church to see if I could find a place to meditate. I went to the office and the church secretary told me I could meditate in the lobby.

It was quiet and peaceful and I was meditating silently when a man came out of another office, saw me and  said in a friendly voice: "Can I help you? Are you waiting for someone?"

I told him I was waiting for an oil change and taking time to pray.

He smiled and said, "Enjoy your time with God."

I smiled back, and then settled back to meditating, feeling once again a sense of joy and peace and connectedness.

I hope you find time to enjoy being with God, the source of your life and happiness.

For those of you who value science (as I do), this article describes 12 science-based  benefits of meditation.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation#section2