Garage Doors and Spiritual Happenings

 This morning, I was taping up a light switch in the Narthex to make sure it would stay on--it controls the outlet for a light that shines onto the front of the church, and it's easy to switch off because nothing changes during the day when you flip the switch.

  I couldn't help but be reminded of this commercial:


 
As I was laughing I started to think about a lot of the reading I've been doing on discipleship lately, and it occurred to me that much of what I do in my spiritual life is the equivalent of flipping the same switch over and over again without bothering to actually move to any place where I might patiently wait and observe what God is doing in my life.

  There is both positive and negative to routine.  The great part is that you know exactly when and where and how you're going to set aside time to be with God.  In the 22nd chapter of Luke, we are told that Christ goes out to the Mount of Olives as was his custom.  This was something he usually did--he regularly set aside time to pray in the same place.  The disciples knew about this custom, and so they would not have been in a hurry to disrupt it.  In the same way, my wife knows it is my custom to write my devotionals first thing in the morning, so she doesn't disrupt me while I'm doing these--the expectation is clear.

  The negative part to a routine is that, well, it becomes routine.  And when something is routine, we stop being mindful while we are acting and our bodies carry us through the activity.  If we pray in the same manner every day, the danger is that we might stop attending to our prayers and simply say the words because that's what we always do.  We stop pouring our hearts into them, and we stop listening for new answers.

  If we don't create silence as part of our life, we are like the man flipping the switch without ever stepping out of the garage to see if we're slamming a door closed on an opportunity in our life.  We need to be aware that the Spirit is moving all around us, and it's our responsibility to stop and listen.  Let us create a routine but be on our guard that our hearts and minds are fully engaged in our time with God, and that we are listening and watching for God to move us into a new phase, a new day, a new opportunity.  God longs for us to grow closer and closer, and while he offers direction, it won't help if we're not on the lookout for it.