Though my retreat is in silence, I do meet with my retreat director each morning for about a half hour of conversation. We talk about what happened in my prayer the day before and look forward to the day ahead. At the beginning of my retreat, my director suggested an exercise to help shape my reflection. I found it to be a rich source of prayer and it continues to influence my retreat day by day. So, I thought I'd share it with you for your own prayer and reflection.
It's very simple!
1) Find a quiet place and make some time for prayer...
2) Ask the Lord to help you remember times when you've experienced goodness in your life...
3) You might recall the goodness you've experienced: in people (family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, classmates, strangers); or goodness you've experienced in the different places where you've lived or worked or visited; or goodness you've experienced at different phases, times and events in your life; or the goodness you've experienced in particular circumstances, situations and challenges...
3a) In this time for remembering experiences of goodness it's possible that some hurtful memories might come to mind - but today's not the day for that. We so easily recall what's been difficult, we're much slower to remember our blessings. For today, take a pass on the painful and give yourself to the goodness...
4) All good gifts come from God... As memories surface, ask yourself, "What's the goodness here? How did it touch me? change me? challenge me? comfort me? heal me? shape me? Where was God's hand, God's grace, God's presence in this experience?" These moments of goodness might have been great or small - makes no difference!
5) For all the goodness you remember - give God your thanks and praise!
- I did this reflection with paper and pen in hand - to take notes. You might choose to reflect on each experience as it comes to mind or to list a number of them and then go back to reflect on them.
- You'll find that one of the wonderful surprises of this exercise is remembering people, places, times and events you'd long forgotten but that were, indeed, experiences of God's goodness in your life. You might even begin to see patterns of God's grace that you hadn't previously noticed. And you may find that in hindsight, some of your greatest difficulties and challenges have also been experiences of God's goodness.
- I hope you'll give this a try! I'll be praying that you do and that you find God's warm fingerprints on the moments of goodness that come to mind and heart.
And here's a song for your prayer...
God of All My Days
by Mark Hall and Jason Ingram of Casting Crowns
I came to You with my heart in pieces
And found the God with healing in His hands
I turned to You, put everything behind me
And found the God who makes all things new
I looked to You drowning in my questions
And found the God who holds all wisdom
And I trusted You and stepped out on the ocean
You caught my hand among the waves
‘Cause You’re the God of all my days
Each step I take
You make a way
And I will give You all my praise
My seasons change, You stay the same
You’re the God of all my days
I ran from You, I wandered in the shadows
And found a God who relentlessly pursues
I hid from You, haunted by my failure
And found the God whose grace still covers me
I fell on You when I was at my weakest
And found the God, the lifter of my head
And I’ve worshiped You and felt You right beside me
You’re the reason that I sing
‘Cause You’re the God of all my days
In my worry, God, You are my stillness
In my searching, God, You are my answers
In my blindness, God, You are my vision
In my bondage, God, You are my freedom
In my weakness, God, You are my power
You’re the reason that I sing
‘Cause You’re the God of all my days
In my blindness, God, You are my vision
In my bondage, God, You are my freedom
All my days
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