What is your most vivid memory?
There are several that come to my mind, but as I ride on the wings of time over the landscape of these full-color memories back to the very first one, I come to the one that has influenced me most. And it is surprisingly simple and seemingly insignificant.
I see myself sitting on a hillside as a noticeably young child, eating wild strawberries under a pale blue sky with cotton candy clouds. I feel the sticky sweetness on my chubby fingers. I taste the sun-kissed tanginess of tiny ruby orbs. I feel the gentle, warm breeze. I hear the birds calling to each other from the Walnut trees in our front yard. I sense that Someone is truly kind and loving, and that I am safe in His care. I would later come to know that Someone as God.
Chances are that your most vivid memories involve more than one of your senses as well. And the thing about memories is, they shape and mold or reinforce our belief systems in subliminal ways. I have not researched this, but my guess is that the more senses are involved in those pivotal memories, the more impactful they are. For certain, most of us have heard that we retain much more of what we see, hear and experience over what we only hear.
When I read about Peter and some of the other disciples’ encounter with Jesus on the beach soon after his resurrection, I think the memory of this particular incident must have had a profound impact on Peter and his future as a key player in the growth of the church.
This memory would have involved so many of his senses. The smell of fish roasting over a fire. The feel of sand between his toes. The sound of the waves breaking behind him, and the laughter of his friends around a delicious meal. The physical sensation of resting after a long, arduous night of fishing. The vision of nets straining with so many silver, slithering fish. These sensations provided a rich backdrop for the healing and purposeful words that Jesus spoke to him.
This is why I have been enjoying incorporating practices that incorporate multiple senses into my prayer life. My morning coffee stimulates my taste buds, as the steam that rises spreads warmth over my face. The sound of the pages turning in my Bible are like a call to worship. And sometimes I hold some colorful beads in my hands – especially on days when my mind is prone to wander away from my intentions. They serve as the knotted rope that I’ve seen preschool teachers use in helping keep little ones following him or her in an orderly fashion.
These are not new concepts, but somehow in our evangelical ways of breaking from rituals that were more religious than relevant, we have thrown the baby out with the bath water. Most of what we encounter today in our communities of faith are focused on study and singing. Occasionally we incorporate baptism and communion – both of which heavily involve the senses.
What I am offering through my ministry, Grace for Days is an attempt to re-introduce some of these practices with teaching that hopefully inspires us to supplement these very important components of our faith. Much like starting the ministry of Safe Harbor of NC, I find that it takes time for new ideas to catch on. I realize that I am risking something by stepping out of the traditional boat.
Interestingly, one of my other more recent vivid memories is of that very thing. Traveling to Belize with a group from my church, we were blessed to spend our last day exploring the beauties of this small country, particularly on a boat with the intention of getting in some snorkeling in the sparkling blue Caribbean. Having always been fearful of water, even after taking swimming lessons as an adult, I lost my nerve. Standing on the back of the boat watching all my friends swim away to their adventure, I heard the insistent lapping of water against the boat keeping rhythm with my loudly beating heart. I smelled the salty air and watched the sun glinting off the rippling wake of eager swimmers. I held onto the metal railing of the boat as if only it stood between life and death for me. At the last moment, I heard a deeper calling than the gentle persuasive voice of our guide urging me to trust Him. He had something He wanted to show me. So, I took the plunge. And what I experienced during that one hour underwater encounter is something I will never forget.
So…take a chance. Learn a new prayer practice. Shake up your quiet time. Trust that the Holy Spirit is strong enough in you that He can guide you back into truth if you somehow take a wrong turn.
To get you started, here is a simple list of things you could try:
1. Go on a texture hunt. Notice what you touch for the next hour and what it brings up in you. Talk with God about it. Listen to what he says.
2. Turn off as many distracting noises as you can and sit quietly for 15 minutes. As you listen to any small noises, what do they remind you of, spiritually?
3. At your next meal, try closing your eyes as you take a bite of food. Really taste it as if it were your first time and try describing it with words in your mind. Take a moment to thank God for all that went into getting that food from the earth into your mouth.
4. Read your favorite story from the Bible and enter into it as one of the characters. What do you see, hear, and smell? What does Jesus say to YOU in this setting?
5. Check out some of the events I offer on a monthly basis here.