Coming Back to Center
After an intense day or week, month or even a year, I think it is important to ground yourself - to find an equilibrium of peace and contentment. Sometimes this is easier than others. If I notice that I’m getting wound up, or I’m clenching my jaw all day, I start by going to the gym to try and release some of the pent up energy. Other times, I need to sing. One of my go to songs is from Voices United 381 which is Spirit of Life. The words which are written by Carolyn McDade ground me in my faith and my call again. Luckily it is a short hymn that I have memorized and can sing multiple times. Each time I sing it I feel my mind coming back into focus and my body relaxing. The words are as follows: “Spirit of Life, come unto me. Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion. Blow in the wind, rise in the sea, move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice. Roots hold me close; wings set me free; Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me.” This is a form of prayer for me. It has a gentle melody that invokes the feeling of being moved gently by wind, or the feeling one gets when you are floating in the water. I especially like the line “sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.” This is a reminder for me that as a follower of Jesus, I am called to show compassion, to live compassion in the world.
I have realized that when I am stressed, compassion is sometimes one of the first things to disappear. I become less patient. Little things bother me more than they should. I can become focused on what needs to get done, what has gone wrong, or what someone should have done differently. Maybe that is why this particular line speaks to me so deeply. It leads me to believe that being grounded isn't necessarily about finding a place where nothing bothers us anymore. It isn't about escaping the chaos or pretending everything is fine. Grounding is remembering who we are when the chaos starts telling us otherwise.
The next line of the hymn says, “Roots hold me close; wings set me free.” This reminds me that we need to be both connected and free to follow our passions. We need something that holds us when life feels unsteady, but we also need the freedom to let go of the things we were never meant to carry forever. I wonder sometimes how much energy I spend carrying things that aren't mine to carry: someone else's reaction, a conversation I keep replaying, something I wish I had done differently, a problem I cannot solve, or simply the endless list of things that still need to be done. We can become so accustomed to carrying tension that we don't even realize how tightly we are holding on. And so I sing. Usually, whatever was difficult before I started singing is still there when I finish. But something in me has changed. My breathing slows. My jaw unclenches. My perspective widens. I remember that I don't have to respond to everything immediately. I remember compassion. I remember God. I remember myself.
I think that this is the point of prayer sometimes—to change us, not the situation. We all need something that brings us back to centre. Maybe it is music. Maybe it is walking, working with our hands, sitting quietly with a cup of coffee, exercising, laughing with someone we love, being outside, or simply taking a few slow breaths. Whatever it is, perhaps the question isn't only, “What helps me relax?” Maybe the deeper question is: What brings me back to myself—and to the person I want to be in this world? For me, sometimes it begins with a very simple prayer: Spirit of Life, come to me. Have a wonderful week.
Blessings, Rev. Karen