The following comes from “Broken and Beloved, 2019”

STEP ONE: BREATHE

Take a deep, cleansing breath. Allow the air to fill your lungs and expand your body. Exhale and empty yourself into the room. Repeat three times - once for the one who Created you, once for the Incarnate One who walks beside you, and once for the Spirit whose life fills your being.

STEP TWO: DWELL IN WORD

“They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;the sun will not strike them,nor any scorching heat;for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.””

— Revelation 7:16-17

I close my eyes and breathe. At first, my body won't even allow me to inhale full and smooth. A strange force prevents me from doing the most basic of human tasks, from taking air into my lungs and expand them with what is essential to life. It is as though someone or something substantial is sitting upon my chest.

But it is no alien life-form, no enemy of my state - it is all the debris of life that has accumulated within my being. Once again, I have allowed my distractions to take me to a place where I am no longer functioning as God designed me.

With eyes closed, I push through the awkward patterns of choppy breaths. Slowly, I expand my lungs to their capacity. My focus is now on one thing alone - breathing. In. Fill. Out. Exhale. Repeat.

I have set the timer on my phone, so I don't have to worry about losing track of time. I have a full ten minutes for a prayerful connection. With my eyes closed, I am not allowing my sight to cause me to stray. Focus. First on breathing and feeling the air move in and out of my body.

Before long, my body reminds my distracted spirit of the ancient pattern of life. Soon I am delighting in the calm and peaceful nature of air exchange. As I settle into the rhythm, my mind begins to clear of all the "gobbly gunk" that has built up since the last time. There are days when this is no small task.

No sooner do I empty my mind then random thoughts appear. A smart scientist once told me that space abhors a vacuum. Yup, that is true. Bizarre doesn't begin to describe the feelings, worries, preoccupations, and distractions that show up. At times they come from the scattered abyss of my inner world. Other times, I am all too aware of their origin; these are the current worries that haunt me.

No matter whence they come, the centering task at hand invites me to push them to the side. Now is not the time to be distracted. So I imagine these rambling thoughts to be a balloon that can I bat away as a child would do. That is all it usually takes for me to be able to refocus.

Sometimes, however, the rambling thought is a little more obnoxious and wants to linger where it is not welcome. On this rare occasion, I change the context of my imaginative construction. Instead of playing with balloons, I picture myself standing in a stream. As the water rushes around my bare feet, it brings with it debris from upstream. I look down at my toes and see what the stream has brought to me; I watch it touch my leg and then float away. It might sound peculiar to you, but it works for me. Don't knock it before you give it a try.

Clearing my mind from all the things that trouble and redirect, I can focus. At that moment (and sometimes it is only for a brief nanosecond), I find a peace that passes all my understanding and experiences. I enter a very precious and holy space of connectedness.

There is a communion between Creator and creature that touches the depth of my being. Words are unable to describe it. Suddenly, and in a flash, there is a link between all those times that I've experienced God's presence in my life: the warmth of a mother's embrace; an overlook at sunset; meeting my future wife; hands upon my head at ordination; the birth of my sons; a tearful goodbye at the bed of a loved one; the first signs of spring. They merge in an inexplicable way that I can only feel and receive with gratitude.

I breathe an even deeper breath, and the spirit fills every empty place in my being. God is near. There is a blessing, and I am beloved. My heart smiles as joy spreads inside. Although I remain very much connected to earth, the experience transports me to the metaphorical summit of a high mountain where God transfigures. For just a fraction of time, distractions are gone and I'm centered.

STEP THREE: RESPOND IN PRAYER

Gracious and Loving God, help me to stop for a moment and breathe. Give me the strength to push aside all distractions and diversions. Instead, let me focus on your presence, which is ever near. Envelope me with your loving care so that I might delight in being your child. Let me find new courage for facing the challenges and opportunities that lie in front of me. Through Jesus, amen.