Friday August 21, 2020
Amy Dutton
Create
You should have seen my dorm room in college! I literally made furniture for people to sit on when visiting, made curtains, hung fabric on the walls, created ambient lighting and had a supremely cozy bed. Now, I know that I was creating a sacred space for myself.
I have always had a sacred space in my home where I can retreat to find God. This year during Lent I decided to take on a daily practice of self-care in the form of a morning routine that goes like this: stretch, breathing exercises to calm my mind, quiet meditation, read daily devotional and end in prayer (then I get to have a cup of coffee!). I fully intended to end this routine on Easter, but little did I know that it has turned into an important practice during Covid to stay sane and balanced.
In order to create this routine, it has been an ongoing process of research and discovery. I am a huge fan of Richard Rohr’s meditations and am now reading Yes, And… The book starts with this mantra:
Your image of God creates you.
Your Image of God creates you.
Your Image of God creates you.
This is repeated three times because it shouldn’t be a throwaway. A simple statement that touches me deeply.
I have learned that if I am counting breathes and repeating a mantra that I’m just focusing on the now – the present moment – and it is therefore impossible for anxiety to be present. Even for a few moments in that stillness this is where I have discovered that God is within me. My image of God creates me.
I’ve moved beyond my dorm room and have a creative career in the design industry. The best days at work are ones that I have created something beautiful that brings people joy, peace and balance in their homes… that typically includes a defined sacred space. I know that my sense of creativity comes directly from the spirit. I can feel God present in me as I create, and I find this incredibly humbling and motivating.
So, hum the tune “Create In Me A Clean Heart” and CREATE your own sacred space and a morning routine that will help you find your image of God created in you. Peace!