Leaving the crowds

I recently took a personality inventory and was not surprised to find that I am a classic introvert…I need my time alone to recharge my emotional, mental and spiritual batteries. When my children were very young and I had the luxury to stay at home to raise them, I was exhausted every night when my husband came home. Like today’s author said, I could not even go to the bathroom without one of them following me. I loved my children, but I also needed time away.

It makes perfect sense to me that Jesus, too, would need to get away, even from his disciples, to refuel, to pray, to reconnect with God, especially after being with large crowds, meeting their needs, performing miracles and teaching.

In our theme this week of journey, the author recommends taking a walk and praying.

I guess I compartmentalize my life, but I have difficulty doing this. I recently started running, and I do like to listen to music or audiobooks as I go. I don’t know why exercising or walking do not seem to be a natural way for me to pray; I do struggle to connect parts of my life like exercise for the body with prayer for the spirit.

I have tried praying while running or more likely walking, but find it takes such concentration. The times I was successful at praying while moving where when I developed a kind of mantra or breath prayer.

One description of the breath prayer is:

The Breath Prayer that we know today originated with the Desert Mothers and Fathers as a way to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Considered foundational to contemplation and a way to cultivate silence and attention, the Desert Mothers and Fathers would take a short excerpt of Scripture, breathing in with the first part of the text and breathing out with the next, repeating this pattern for extended periods of time. While any text would do, the most common Scripture used for Breath Prayer became “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” echoing the petition made by the tax collector in Luke 18:13.[1]

I would breathe in one phrase and breathe out the other. It kept me at an even pace, calmed me down and let me stay engaged with the task of running and avoiding traffic in the neighborhood. One phrase that worked for me was, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” or the prayer above. There are many short breath prayers that might resonate at other times.

As I listen to the wind howl this morning, I am thinking about doing a walk at the mall; this is a perfect place to practice breath prayers…keeping focused on what I am doing in a positive way rather than my tendency to window shop or people watch.

Take some time away today and note how you feel about this practice. Do you get distracted? Is the time away rejuvenating or a reminder of all that still needs to be done? Is praying harder or easier when you slip away?

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[1] https://www.asacredjourney.net/how-to-practice-breath-prayer/