Sometimes, on that rare early morning, when the house is quiet, and the stars magically align, I am finally able to close my eyes and meditate. It’s in those moments of bliss that I find this beautiful inner peace … a vision of dappled meadows, the gentle hues of sunrise and… oh wait – scratch that… I must be thinking of that commercial for Dove chocolate. No, actually, when I meditate, the inside of my head  looks more like one of those old reel-to-reel tapes spinning wildly at a breakneck speed until finally, the tape flies off the reel and flaps like a dying bird. That’s me when I meditate. 

 

Can you relate?

 

Here’s the great news, though: It’s ok. Meditation isn’t going to save anybody. Sure, Jesus snuck away to mountain tops and meditated, but he never said that we have to be gurus. We just have to do our best. Meditation is about giving our Heavenly Father a little more of our time. A little more of our attention. We don’t have to be awesome at it.

 

See, meditation is simply a way of stepping away from our own worlds for a little while so that we can tune into God’s frequency instead. It should feel like the lifting of the chunky metal bar at the end of the roller coaster ride and realizing, “Wow! I actually survived”. I think that’s where you say “ahhh”. Your noggin will probably still be spinning and your hands a little shaky, but you took an intentional step off the chaotic ride of your own life, of your own agenda, of your own thoughts to think about better things, and that’s what matters.

 

Listen, nobody’s inside your head (except maybe Siri, she’s everywhere). Nobody’s judging how well you focus or meditate or pray. It’s between you and God. And the great thing about God is that he’s kinda known for his grace. I think he’s just glad you wanted to spend some time with him.

 

So just start somewhere. Listen to the scripture meditation tracks and try to simply focus on the relaxing sounds spilling into your eardrums. Focus only on the beautiful promises that have been nestled inside God’s Word like little treasures just waiting for you. You don’t need to dissect them or think about how they apply to you, just let ‘em wash over you and simply listen. That’s it. Listening is a lost art, after all, and I bet God just loves it when we actually stop and simply listen.

 

Give meditation a try and be patient with yourself, it takes time to get into the groove of it. Don’t stress, you’re doing great.