"It's a Way of Life"

"Meditation is not a single act, nor can it be completed in the way one completes the building of a chair. It is a way of life." (32)

Reading through meditation and really thinking about the inward discipline of meditation this week has constantly brought back Foster's words from the introduction constantly streaming though my head, "The disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us." (7) There is no such thing as a "single" act of meditation. Meditation is the "ability to hear God's voice and obey his word." (17) This act of "Christian meditation leads us to the inner wholeness necessary to give ourselves to God Freely." (21)

"And the wonderful thing about such an experience is that the self is quite forgotten. We are no longer worried about how we can make ourselves more at peace, for we are attending to the impartation of peace within our heart. No longer do we laboriously think up ways to act peacefully, for acts of peace spring spontaneously from within." (30)

As I sat and pondered on my own personal thoughts about meditation and what it looks like in my life, I found myself thinking alongside what this quote says quite eloquently. I automatically think, how can I meditate better? What should I do to start this process? How can I find time in my busy schedule to make time for this? My thoughts jump directly to the "doing" side of life. I attempt to meditate by working hard at it and hoping my labors with pay off. Foster's statements on "holy leisure" could almost be considered a forgein language to me. Because this concept of "holy leisure" is a constant struggle in my life (especially right now as I enter 2 weeks of finals and classes ending for the semester) but I am reminded the freedom from this discipline. Not by the hard work I imagine necessary to experience my own personal sanctuary, walking the walk and talking the talk with God. But that "the disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that he can transform us[me]." (7)