From Mindless to Mindfulness: Thursday's Reflection

I spent the afternoon cutting and pasting.

And praying.

At first, the task seemed mindless. I had decided to put together journals for the guided labyrinth walks I am leading in the next few days. I wrote prompts for each part of the labyrinth and then cut and pasted them into small journals the participants can carry with them as they walk the labyrinth. I started the project the previous day, but hadn't finished it and, I admit, I was a bit frustrated about that.

After all, I had planned to spend the afternoon working on my spiritual memoir, but there I was cutting and pasting and getting my fingers sticky and scraps of paper were drifting to the floor around my desk. What had seemed like a good idea, a creative idea, began to feel more like a chore. 

But somewhere along the way--maybe journal #3, I noticed a change. I started cutting more slowly, more deliberately and less frantically. I started pasting the small slips of paper into the journal in a gentler way, smoothing the paper, almost caressing each page.

I thought about the people who will be walking the labyrinth, wondering what cares or questions or yearnings they will bring with them. I thought about all the feet that have walked the labyrinth we will use and hoped they have found some peace, some insights, some grace along the way.

I thought about the privilege of accompanying others on their journey, about the stories I hear, the hopes and dreams shared, the joys and the sorrows expressed, the depth of seeking for connection, for awareness of the movement of God.

As I completed each journal, I whispered, "Amen." 

After I put away the scissors, the glue stick, the ruler, and cleaned up my work space, space I realized had been an altar for a short period of time, I opened Celtic Treasure by J. Philip Newell to reread the prayer from this morning's devotion time.

                   Open our eyes to see your Spirit in all life.
                   Open our hearts to receive the blessing that
                       is in all created things.
                   Guide us with your wisdom, O God,
                   in the handling of matter,
                   in the sharing of earth's resources
                   and in the knowing of one another,
                   your Spirit within every living spirit.

What had felt mindless to me, had become a time of mindfulness. 

An Invitation
What mindless activities can become a time of prayer in your life? I would love to know.