Spiritual & exercise. Those two words usually either intrigue people or put people off.
I am going to share with you a practice that puts both of them together, a “spiritual exercise” that I learned years ago and still regularly use in my life. It takes focus and it can be work. It also taps into the creative space that is God.
If you know me, you know that I don’t like “hokey” things. The first time I learned of this practice I was very resistant and really thought it was not for me. Over time though I have become more open to letting God fill my imagination.
Here is the practice:
In this experience I am in a quiet place (usually laying in bed before sleep or upon awakening.)
I let my mind wander down a path my (path is in the forest.) I take in the qualities of the forest (season, type of trees, smells, breeze, wildlife, etc.)
I come to a place where there is a door. In my imagination the door is always the same.
I open the door and know that Jesus is waiting on the other side for me.
When I walk through the door I notice my whereabouts.
I usually see Jesus right away and have some interaction with him.
That interaction will usually turn in to a conversation and exchange.
That’s it. Sounds easy enough, but it is always both a spiritual experience and exercise!
I wanted to share my experience from yesterday with you all.
I was wandering down a path in a beautiful forest full of Aspen trees. There was a crispness in the fall air and I could see my breath. The colors of the leaves were stunning yellow and they seemed to whisper to me as the wind blew through them. The little squirrels scattered at my footsteps and it seemed as I walked on the path I was alone in the world. My eyes fell on a delapitated door that I realized was my door. It had suffered some damage through the summer months and was quite dirty. In anticipation I pushed the door open and walked through. On the other side I found myself in an area of swampy overgrowth. There were trees there too but they were covered with vines and moss was heavy on them. The shore was almost immediately mushy and gross to walk on. I saw Jesus way out in the water and he smiled and waved to me. I wanted to go to him, but saw no way other than trudging through all that yuck. The mosquitos were buzzing around me. The air was oppressive and muggy. The water was so murky I couldn’t see anything beyond the slimy green stuff floating on the surface. I realized I had a choice. I could go to Jesus out in the water or turn and go back through the door to the path I had been on. To venture out in the water was scary. What if there was a brain eating ameba in there? What if there were crocodiles? Snakes? What if there was a flesh eating bacteria? Seriously in my mind I was considering all these things. Turning around and going through the door was appealing, but I was so alone there. So I decided to step in the yucky water towards Jesus. There first few steps were disgusting and the bottom of the swamp seemed to suck at my legs. The fourth step down my foot met with no resistance and it was as if the bottom disappeared and I was under the gross water in a heartbeat. Stringy things clung to my face and arms. I could feel the slime on my body. Breaking the surface I gasp for breath. I tried swimming and the water seemed like sludge. I treaded water for a bit and then tried swimming again. I was disoriented and couldn’t find the direction I had seen Jesus in. It was heartbreaking to me to have taken this risk and to be in this situation. I was crying, literally. As I swam I started to realize it wasn’t so hard to make progress and then my foot struck something solid. I looked down and realized the water had cleared and I was on a rock. I looked up and there stood Jesus. He grabbed me in a bear hug embrace. I noticed the water was now crystal clear and I could see to the horizon in every direction, above me was clear skies, below me beautiful water, rock and colorful fish. There was a refreshing warm breeze. As I stood for a while relishing the presence of Jesus I realized that I could see where I came from. It seemed like a representation of what I have been going through in life these past 10 months. I mentioned this to Jesus and then asked where am I now in the process. I was thinking maybe on the other side of the door, going through the door, at the shoreline, in the murky water, loosing my footing, almost drowning, coming into clearer waters, etc. He asked me “Where do you want to be?” I replied “Right here where I am.’ At that moment I realized I am there. I am on solid ground in the loving embrace of my savior. We choose where we want to be regardless of what life is saying. That my friends was the most wonderful, savoring moment. I stayed there for a while before allowing my mind awareness of my surroundings.
I wanted to share this with you as an encouragement. I hope it inspires you to try using the concepts of spiritual and exercise together in your life too. I pray it draws you closer in your journey with God. Blessings- Chrissy