Writings of a Beholder 🌿 7.14.23

Finding blank spaces this summer

Finding Blank Spaces This Summer

I love summertime, really, I do.

I love the way the sun shines all warm and bright, leaking light onto everything it touches. I love the way the birds sing their songs all day long and how everything around me is lush and green and growing strong. It really is a beautiful season. And because of its beauty and warmth and the fact that schools everywhere are out of session, there seems to be an invitation to cultivate activity and connection.

Activity and connection are truly good things, but I think too much of anything can turn a sweet thing sour. And I’m not sure about you, friend, but I’m starting to feel the busyness of summer in my bones and sometimes, it becomes too much for me to hold.

Sometimes, I need a moment to breathe — a day, even. A day to just be and not have any gathering scheduled on the calendar or an appointment set or even a trip planned (unless we’re going to the coast of Maine, then I’m there no matter what, and so help the person who tries to talk me out of it).

Sometimes, too much activity and connection can be overwhelming for me and I forget to be intentional about carving out some breathing space and taking time for the slower things — the unseen things — that fill and heal my soul. This can be tough, because I tend to feel a bit purposeless on the days — or seasons, even — when I don’t have something to do or anything to work toward. I struggle to tie my identity to what I can achieve, rather than the person I actually am; a human person, loved deeply by God and made in His image who, in fact, needs rest and days off, and lots of blank space.

Blank space used to scare me a lot — this idea of untethered time — but now it only scares me sometimes when I forget that I was not created to work toward rest but to work from a place of rest. That means that resting should come before working and somewhere in learning how to rest, I realize that every need of mine is already met, so why strive for something that already belongs to me anyway?

My worth and my identity are wrapped up in God’s Love for me, and it’s in sitting in the blank spaces of a day — a life — that I am able to be touched and changed by that Divine Love. It’s here, in cultivating blank space, that I’m able to receive God’s rest which puts my hurried soul at ease.

Maybe like me, you need a soft, quiet place to land this summer. A day or two or three (or more) to rest, guilt-free, and breathe deeply. If that’s you today, friend, I see you. And let me be possibly the only person today who will tell you that taking a day, an hour, a minute, or even a second to do something (or maybe nothing) that cares for your soul may just be the most productive thing you do all week.

Stepping out of the hum of activity for a time may just be the tonic your soul needs.

If you need permission to cancel that appointment, reevaluate your summer schedule, or incorporate more time for blank space and rest, then here it is: You are a human person loved deeply by God and made in His image who, in fact, needs rest and days off, and lots of blank space. You are not a machine, nor are you created to meet everyone’s needs.

You are deeply loved and cared for by the Good Shepherd Who crafted your soul to look a lot like His own, and if He rested, then so should we.

My summer has been a little more full than I expected, and because of that, I’ve adopted a summertime breath prayer as a grounding practice for myself.

Throughout the day, I take a few minutes to step out of the noise and slowly breathe in:

The Lord is my Shepherd.

And gently breathe out:

I have what I need. (Psalm 23:1, CSB)

These words breathed in and then back out again are a prayer. A prayer of trust, surrender, presence, and peace. A prayer inviting me to step away from the commotion of summer and to come Home to Divine Love.

Maybe these words will help to anchor you, too, this summer. To slow you down long enough to remind you that God stands with you, beside you, behind you, and before you, meeting every need with love and grace before you even know how to form it into a prayer.

To come Home to yourself as one deeply loved by God, because that is the ultimate invitation.

And maybe engaging with other soul care practices could help lead you Home to Love. Perhaps they can create more space within you for your soul to breathe deeply and freely. So, along with crafting a summertime breath prayer, maybe these four soul care practices could help create more space within you for your soul to breathe.

1. Spend time in nature: Try embracing the warmer weather and longer days by spending time outdoors. Go for a hike, sit on a park bench next to a body of water, or even take a walk around your neighborhood. God speaks through the beauty of His creation, and you may just find peace there.

2. Pursue creative outlets: Engage in activities that nurture your creativity. Try something new like painting, writing, pottery, or playing a musical instrument. Expressing yourself creatively can be fulfilling, rejuvenating, and reconnect you with your inner child.

3. Practice self-reflection: Take some time to reflect on where your feet are, as well as God’s past and current faithfulness. Consider journaling about what you’re noticing in your own spiritual formation during this season or set aside moments of solitude for the purpose of rest and reflection.

4. Embrace gratitude: Cultivate a practice of gratitude by paying attention to where you notice the Light leaking into your life. Try making it a habit to appreciate the beauty of summer, the experiences you've had, and the people and places that bring joy to your life.

I’m learning here, in this season, that blank, spacious places are always waiting for me, I just have to let myself be led to them. Sometimes, it takes intentionality and release to create more space for what gives my soul breath. But every time I do, I’m always so grateful for the time spent receiving what I need to be a healthy functioning human person that is better equipped to love herself, others, and God more.

I’m looking forward to letting the blank spaces find me this summer. I’m ready to say yes to their invitation to rest and refreshment.

What about you?

He reached down from on high
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of deep water.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out to a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me. (Psalm 18:16-19, CSB)

With you on the journey,

Celia

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Life Lately

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A Breath Prayer for Your Weekend

breathe in:

He brought me out.

breathe out:

To a spacious place. (Psalm 18:19)

*if you’d like to learn more about the practice of breath prayer, download this complete digital guide to practicing breath prayer.

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Resources & Good Things to Pick Up

Here are some favorite books of mine related to the topic of rest and Sabbath:

• The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath by Mark Buchanan

• Sabbath: The Ancient Practices by Dan Allender

• Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in Rhythms of Rest by Lynne Baab

• Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace & Purpose by Rebekah Lyons

I wrote a blog post last summer sharing some summertime soul care practices that may be life-giving for you: 7 Summertime Soul Care Rhythms: Cultivating an Inner Summer Stillness

I’m finding this app really helpful this summer in creating time for blank space. Its a Christian meditation app and its purpose is to help you pause throughout the day and focus on the presence of God with you: Pause

Grab some breath prayer cards, a journal, a candle, and other contemplative resources from my Etsy shop: The Beholding Co.

Grab a copy of my Bible study, You Are Beloved: a 21-day study on how to root your identity in the love of God, over on Amazon. And if you’d like a free 3-day sample of the study, reply to this email and I’ll send it right over!

My friend and licensed spiritual director, Kari Bartkus, offers an 8-week journaling program for those who want to process their grief and trauma with God within the safety of blank journal pages. I’ve completed the program myself and can say confidently that it was incredibly impactful and healing: Journal Gently

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An Invitation to Pause & Reflect

A regular practice of reflection helps us recognize what’s going on beneath the surface of our souls so we can name it in the Lord’s presence. Because as we learn to name what we feel, what we need, and what we long for, we’re also learning to discern the Spirit’s sweet, gentle voice within our hearts and lives.

Take a few moments today or this weekend to journal or contemplate with the Holy Spirit the following question(s) or prompt(s):

How might you intentionally carve out time this summer to rest and sit in the blank spaces of a day?

Take a few moments this weekend to take an inventory of your soul and ask yourself, “What am I most needing in this season?” Journal and pray about what rises to the surface, and then craft a few soul care rhythms as a response to that need.

What’s one thing you could remove this summer to make more time for rest?

What’s one thing you could add?