Rhythms

Musically, I am a harmony girl. I’ve been an alto all of my life, so I have always sung the harmony part. I love everything about it. The way 2 parts join together to create a richer, deeper sound makes my heart soar. When I hear a new song, if I can hear the chorus once, I will be singing harmony the next time around. My boys sometimes chuckle at me when they hear me harmonizing to a brand new song before it’s even over. They know it’s my thing.

Rhythms are another matter entirely. They don’t come naturally to me. I have to work at them.

It’s the same in daily life. I need a rhythm, a routine; but it doesn’t come naturally. I often feel as if I have been running through my days trying to force a routine that doesn’t fit. My inner critic has been loudly reminding me of what I haven’t been accomplishing.

Reality check though: I have autoimmune diseases and I have to choose how I spend my energy carefully. Sometimes I run out of energy before I run out of day. And…. oh yeah, we are also in the middle of a pandemic.

This week I came across a scripture that I have read and loved for my whole life. It is especially beautiful to me in Eugene Peterson’s The Message. When I read it this week, however, it hit me in a brand new way. Let me share it with you:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 The Message

Notice that phrase that I emphasized. “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” Now I don’t know about you, but sometimes I try to force myself to do what I have decided is the “right” way to connect with God - the “right” way to structure my days. After all, I have been a Christ follower since I was eight. Surely I know what the “right” way looks like. The problem is that I (my people pleasing, good girl self) have listened more to what evangelical culture says is the “right” way to be a follower than what my heart needs.

Thankfully the Spirit has been teaching me a new thing about rhythms recently. Both my Counselor and my Spiritual Director have been talking to me about the difference between practices that are life-giving and ones that are life draining. I often try to do too much of what I think is right and not enough of what brings me close to God and makes my heart soar.

Here’s a truth, y'all: There are so many ways to connect with God and spend time in God’s presence. But not every practice is right for me in every season. Just because we have been told that something is “how we spend time with God” doesn’t mean it is the only way.

For most of my life I have focused on a certain kind of Bible study and a certain type of prayer. I did it, but it didn’t always bring me closer to God or transform my life. In the last few years I have discovered new ways of connecting with God. The practices that have given me life have been things like creativity and meditation and prayer writing. Doing these things feel natural and hopeful. They help me understand who God is and who I am created to be. But I am still exploring.

During the summer, what sparked for me were the liturgies that have been used for ages by followers of Christ. I explored the Daily Office and Celtic prayer books in my morning and evening routines. They made me curious and reminded me that I am part of a bigger whole.

However, a few weeks ago, my soul was restless and overwhelmed. I felt Holy Spirit prompting me to dive deep into just one practice: prayer writing. So I’m focusing now on spending my writing time in God’s presence and listening well.

God is always doing a new thing. I think the biggest truth for me in this journey is that how I encounter God will change. I can try new things. I can let something go for a season. As I am transformed, I will find new ways to hear the Spirit’s voice.

It should never be drudgery and tedious.

Yes, there is a discipline to our walk with Christ. But look for the places that spark your curiosity and ignite your passion. Do what makes you feel fully yourself. After all, you are created on purpose - with a purpose. Growth and transformation will happen organically when your spiritual practices are life giving.

So I want to hear from you: What spiritual practice makes you come alive? What sparks your curiosity? What have you tried lately that brings you joy? Share your life giving practices in the comments. And maybe even share what doesn’t work for you too - it is just as important to know what is life- draining.

Welcome and Intro and Purpose, oh my!

I can hardly believe I’m here and we are doing this. Creating a space together is something I’ve dreamed of a long time. I am so glad you are here. Your voice matters in this space too. I believe we will learn and process and see beautiful things together. So let me introduce myself first.

Hi, I’m Renae Rickles Perry. I am a Christ follower and a deep thinker. I am an avid reader and lifelong learner. I am learning to trust and use my voice. I am a hardcore nerd and I love talking about geeky things! {Who is your favorite doctor in Doctor Who? What Hogwarts house are you in? Lynda Carter or Gal Gadot - or both?} I love to travel and create and have adventures. I am a widowed mom with 2 kids. My boys are 20 & 14 at this moment, and they are the most amazing, funny, quirky and brave humans I know. I love them so.

So, 3 and 1/2 years ago, our world was rocked when my husband died suddenly. A few days in, I remember feeling like my world had exploded and was scattered into tiny pieces all around me. I prayed in that moment “God, please make something beautiful out of the broken pieces. Redeem this devastating experience.” I very clearly felt the Holy Spirit giving me the image of a mosaic. It was a beautiful, hopeful image and I held on tight to it as a promise.

A lot has happened since that day, but I still hold on to that image. I believe God does beautiful things in painful hard situations.
I have seen God move and I have experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit. I have felt covered by grace through it all - through my whole life, really. I have learned, and I am still learning, to look for the grace every day.
Merriam Webster dictionary defines grace as “unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification” and “a special favor: Privilege” and also a “disposition to or an act or instance of kindness.” And their kid’s definition is to HONOR and ADORN. Let’s unpack that definition a little. Grace is unmerited, which means it is undeserved. It is given for the purpose of our regeneration (rebirth) and sanctification (transformation.) It is a special favor or privilege.

Y’all, grace is a gift!

Grace is a disposition to or act of kindness. It is in God’s nature to gift us with kindness and compassion. It is who God is to Honor and Adorn us with goodness. So God, out of God’s own nature, gifts us with kindness and compassion, whether we feel we deserve it or not, in order to make us new and transform us. Wow. Take that in for a moment.

I want to notice the grace. I want to take special interest in naming the moments where I see God gifting me with compassion and kindness. These moments hold a purpose. They renew and transform us. They remind us to pay attention to who God is and the ways we are loved. And when we name and share them, we point other people to a God who deeply loves them and is already working in their lives whether they know it or not.

I see traces of God’s favor and honor throughout my life. I am following the path of God’s goodness and noticing the sparks of grace along the path. And I would love for you to join me.

My promise is that in this space, we will intentionally look for God. Let’s together see the traces of grace throughout our life. Let’s name them so we can be encouraged and so others can begin to see the grace on their journey too.

Let’s build a community of grace seekers here.
Introduce yourself in the comments. Share your first name and where you are from.
Where have you seen traces of grace in the last week?

“Grace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grace. Accessed 2 Jul. 2020.