"Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching." (Gen 24:62-63)
The Reader's Digest wrote a story about when Henry Ford once hired an efficiency expert to evaluate his company. After the evaluation, which took a couple of weeks, the expert presented his report to Mr Ford. It was all favorable with the exception of one thing.
"It's that man down the hall," said the expert. "Every time I go by his office he's just sitting there with his feet on his deck. I think He's wasting your money."
Mr Ford replied, "That man once had an idea that saved us millions of dollars. At the time when he got the idea, I believe his feet were planted right where they are now."
So far, we have seen Isaac as a child and as a young man, submitting himself to be killed by his father as a sacrifice to God, but it is interesting that our first introduction to him as an adult was to inform us about his meditative practice. This is significant because it lets us know that the spiritual practice of meditation goes back to at least 4000 years ago, probably predating written history.
The practice of meditation is one of the most fruitful spiritual practices. It is the retirement of the soul from all its activities into solitude in order to focus on life transforming truths. It is the ventilation of the mind as it breathes new ideas and creativity. Meditation is the crucible from which great ideas are born. It was the practice of the patriarchs of faith. It is the practice of great souls. The valuable man with his feet on the desk at Henry Ford's factory was practicing meditation. There are many verses of scriptures for example, Psalm 1, that encourages us to also practice this discipline. I would like to share with you a poem I wrote a while ago on meditation. It is long but I think it will bless you. It is titled, The Pristine Summit.
The Pristine Summit
Sometimes I wonder how much more we could know
How much less we’ll be confused
How much more our creative juices will flow
If we had a little bit less noise
A little bit less movement
A little more time alone in quiet contemplation
I sit right now, my laptop positioned where it got its name, on my laps
Awaiting my taps
I am drinking in the silence of the night
Reveling in the serenity that comes when most of humanity is asleep
I am smiling with glee, feeling like I made it through another hurricane.
My mind on the sacred book: Psalm 46:10
With stillness comes inspiration. I cannot but write.
The damage has been assessed
Scattered toys gathered
Crumbs of food swept
My sweet babies pacified by daddy’s special touch
Now I am alone
The faint cricket sounds, the occasional snore from across the hallway and the amplified ticks of the clock above my head doesn’t bother me at all.
Silence still rules.
It would have been strange if it did bother me
Because a few moments ago, noise had its reign
The whole house made a chorus.
Clanging dishes. Rumbles on the floor. Ear splitting cries.
Splashing water in the bath. Giggles. Little running feet. Collision with tables and walls
Screams of “Daddy, Joshua bit me”
“I want cheerios”. “Carry me”. “ I don’t want bedtime”. “Daddy, what color is that?”
.“Daddy I fell down”. “Jesse took my toy” “ I want to watch Sponge Bob”
“O say can you see” sings the patriotic phone (My ring tone is the national anthem)
Signaling the start of a session of pastoral counseling
Computer hums in the corner. Bill O’Reilly screams to be heard above the cacophony
A few more hours then at last, the bleeping security system signaling the closing of the doors,
The closing of the day for many. But not for me
Now at last, the phone has stopped it song
Night prayers have ascended
Dad kisses kids
Mom kisses daddy
Now, the little angels lie peacefully in their beds
Renewing strength for tomorrow’s work or is it play?
Mom is in bed.
I am awake, enveloped in silence. Granted solicitude. Still
The hurricane is past. Now I can get to work
The stillness slows my breathing. Silence opens my hears
Solitude makes me aware of the sacred
Quietness ushers in the calm of the Carpenter of Galilee
I can hear His voice. “Come to me those who are weary and burdened”
Now I can hear the still and small whisper within me with amplified clarity
A pin drop in the spirit is discernible
Signal to noise ratio is pretty high
My receiver only needs to be tuned
Now, words hidden deep in the recesses of the heart can surface
Like submarines from the oceans depth
I can converse with the Creator
And dine with the Divine
Oh, how I love silence and solitude
Here, the vast subconscious reigns over the familiar
Untapped strength suddenly emerge
And creativity overwhelms mediocrity
Inspiration tramps desperation
It is here in this crucible, the world is moved and changed
Here, Einstein explained the world,
Edison lit it,
Da Vinci painted it,
Beethoven composed its melody,
Tennyson rhymed it
Shakespeare scripted it
Twain satired it
Ford built it
And Billy Graham saved it
What an irony that the noisiest gadgets of today
Were forged in the creative silence of yesterday.
The best movies, were probably scripted in the solitude of the night
But now, the mechanical clamor of the Industrial Revolution
The electronic beep of the Information Age
Have obliterated the soothing quiet that once embraced us
Unnatural sound has invaded virtually all of our public spaces
Now it is raiding our inner-sanctums
And we feel obliged to welcome it
To keep up with the Joneses
To you who read here’s my point
Take time often to cross from the mundane to the celestial
Escape to this sanctuary of stillness
To sit at this peak of rest
Mute the TV and the phone. Park the car. Stop the video game
Skip a few parties. Have a retreat
Lock in yourself with your spirit and Him
Visit the fullness of your possibilities
In silence, stillness and solitude
Join me in this Summit
This pristine, uncrowded place
Let’s find ourselves
And let’s change the world.
So like Isaac, take some time off your work. Take a walk in the field. Shut yourself out from the noise that surrounds you and fill your mind with the beauty of God in creation and the world. Your soul will be strong. New ideas will come and you will be in the company of great minds and patriarchs of faith.
Decision of the Day
I decide to practice meditation regularly. I will have specific times that I retire from all work and activity to commune with God and ponder on His works and words. I will visit the pristine summit and great ideas will flow from my mind that will bless the world.
G.L Ijiwola
www.thecitylight.org
www.facebook.com/pastorlan
To subscribe friends and family to these daily devotionals, send their emails to devotional@thecitylight.org
No comments:
Post a Comment