Advent. Pray

E.J. Henderson hand-crafted this beautiful guitar
and then hand-delivered it to me

Not feeling it today. It’s grey out and has been for several days. It’s been drizzling and foggy for a while. I definitely feel seasonal affective challenges in the short, dark, cold days of December and January.

In my better moments, when I’m feeling this way, I remember to ask myself what brings me joy and light. There are practices that do that for me, though when I’m particularly low it’s easy to forget them and hard to find the energy to engage them.

I’m not in such a place in life in general these days, but it’s good to notice them and remember that they are part of my life and of everyone else’s, too. That remembering is part of praying – connecting myself to some deeper source that holds the darkness and the light, the sadness and the joy in some kind of divine love that trusts all of the ebbs and flows each to its own season.

Also, with my beautiful new guitar sitting on the sofa in my study I do remember that one of the practices of living that brings joy and light to my life is making music. So I’m going to pray with six strings and two hands for a while, and let this season of waiting and watching wash over me for a while.