Thursday, November 6, 2008

Renewal

“Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

My head still throbs two days after the election. A stressful week, my body hungers for rest.

But not the rest I find between the sheets of my bed.

It's a rest I find only in deep meditation.

I may take a trip to the labyrinth located outside a local monastery in my hometown.

The labyrinth, like the one pictured here, is one of the best places to enter a state of deep meditation.

This is how it works:

A prayer is said upon entering the labyrinth.

As you walk, following the concentric circular path, meditate upon the stresses troubling you.

Reaching the center of the circle, you ask God to remove the burden of those stresses from your life and thank him for the blessings He has bestowed upon you.

As you follow the path back out of the labyrinth, you should feel lighter.

Having left your burdens in the center with God, you should feel rejuvenated as you exit.

It takes about a half hour to do a true labyrinth walk complete with prayers and meditation. The time you spend also depends on how much time you meditate in the center of the labyrinth.


If you have a labyrinth near you, try taking the walk sometime. In some cases, spiritual counselors may be able to help you or even walk with you.

The spiritual cleansing you feel afterward is amazing.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I need to go there with you. I am having a hard time, Love ya! Jill

Unknown said...

I've never heard of one of those... How neat does that look!!

Kathryn Hupp-Harris said...

Sabrae -- It is neat. Awesome, in fact. The one pictured above is patterned after the one at the Chartre Cathedral in France, but there are different designs. This one is huge. It takes up most of the yard next to the large monastery where it's located.

Jill -- The day after Dana decided to quit drinking, I took him to the labyrinth and walked with him through it. I really believe it helped him leave his addiction in God's hands so he could start tackling his depression/bipolar. It's a great place for healing. Hang in there. It's going to be okay. Love ya back, sister!

Kathryn Hupp-Harris said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Hey Kat. I've never heard of the labyrinth.... I can see how it'd be great, though. Walking through your stresses, leaving them for God in the middle.

This has been an interesting and historical week, and I'm sure many out there hunger for rest. They may seek the kind between the sheets, though, when it's resting in Christ that they need.

Thanks for the post. Have a great Friday, and I hope you find some rest this weekend. I'm going to the red rocks of Sedona, AZ to pound out some miles on the road bike, that's where I connect with God, on the bike in the beauty.