Being the Beloved - A Monthly Blog from CFDM Northwest
By Mark Cutshall, Spiritual Director
How did you wake up this morning?
Outside my bedroom window, a group of large crows regularly gets together for coffee at 5 am. I think they’re all retired because they like to tell the same old jokes that peck away at my eardrums.
A few weeks ago, I woke up to the joy that our young, adult daughter who lives in Hollywood, Florida was sound asleep under our roof in Shoreline. I rubbed my eyes and smiled that she had flown out for Mother’s Day. My wife, Linda, seconded that emotion with the dawn.
Mornings can span every musing and mood under the sun. As Neil Diamond was wont to sing, “Some days a diamond, some days a stone.” One day I decided to play the spiritual director card on myself: “So where do you sense God is for you, Mark?”
In the days and weeks that followed, a morning ritual of habit and Spirit began to take shape. Here it is, a few thoughts put to paper for what it looks like to begin your day with God:
· Find a place where you can be quiet and still. No to-do lists, ringtones, or alarms. Just you and God.
· Listen to the sounds around you. What do you hear? The thermostat clicking on? A distant airplane, or familiar barking dog? Maybe even the whisper of your own breathing. Where do you sense your heart, your mind, your body, waking up?
· Greet God with your honest, not-all-put-together self and gently consider the One who calls you “beloved.” Who is this Jesus for you? How might you begin the day with him? I love the words of Psalm 143:8, "Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go for to you I lift up my soul."
· Try practicing the Daily Examen (prayer of Examen). Over the centuries this brief, guided reflection from St. Ignatius has given people a simple path to discover the goodness and significance of each day with God. The Daily Examen is an invitation to revisit yesterday, savor today, and foster a readiness for tomorrow with deepening awareness of yourself and God.
· Befriend the present moment. The questions and curiosities, the doubts, and unfinished stories you hold matter to God. Think of them as hinges that allow the door of discovery to swing open. Like the children in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe who entered Narnia by surprise, a new chapter awaits, perhaps even a new morning.
So, find some time and dare to go slow starting the day with the One who knows you, forgives you, loves you, and receives you fully and completely in Jesus. With eyes open, arms outstretched, and without judgement or shame, he waits to greet you.
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Photo: Linda Cutshall, beginning her first day of retirement, May 2021, on Whidbey Island
How are you beginning your day with God? Post in the comments below or hop on over to our Facebook page and share with one another.