This week is another full week. I have a bunch of deadlines over the next few days which means the open spaces in my schedule have filled in. Fortunately Friday and Saturday are wide open so I’ll be able to transition into a mode of rest and renewal for a few days.⁣

In the meantime, I need to pay attention because I have a pattern for how I’ve often responded during stretches of days that require high productivity. That pattern involves short cutting sleep, skipping my quiet time—because time is precious—and trying to do everything from my own power. I’ve learned the hard way that operating that way too long leads to burnout. A better pattern is to not short my sleep (too much) and to prioritize my quiet time because that time helps me breathe and center in God’s presence and Spirit.⁣⁣

Today I am cultivating sanctuary by anchoring my quiet time with a prayer I first encountered a few years ago while going through the Ignatian Exercises with a spiritual director. This prayer by Joseph Tetlow soothes my soul so it is good for me to return to it in a stretch of stressful days: ⁣

𝘖𝘩 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, ⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴
𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. ⁣

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘣. ⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. ⁣

𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘥, 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦,
𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘦. ⁣
𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘯.⁣

What practices or words help you to center?

Do you have a poem or prayer, Bible verse or mantra that you return to again and again?

Please share in the comments. ⁣

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