Allow the Interruptions, Accept the Imperfections
Instead of getting frustrated, I can allow the interruptions to take place and savor them when they do.
The other day, I was spending some time with the Lord while watching over my one-year-old son. As a modern monastic with a very young family, I've had to learn to be creative with using the limited amount of time I have each day. Working through some spiritual exercises while attending to some light responsibilities is one way for me to redeem a little more time. However, the challenge I face in doing this is the possibility of getting frustrated by any interruption to my spiritual practices. It's no wonder that being in solitude (as traditional monks practice) helps to greatly enhance the spiritual disciplines and the benefit one receives from them. However, for modern monastics, solitude isn't always an option. Instead, we will need to learn to live with some interruptions. And that's totally fine.
On this particular day, I started to feel myself get a little frustrated as my son was regularly interrupting a meditation practice I was trying to do. Now, this was not his fault. The fault was definitely mine. I probably should have considered a different spiritual practice to engage in aside from quiet meditation. I lost the battle even before it began with this poor choice. As I was pondering upon my own sinfulness, I felt an insight bubble up that was likely from the Spirit: "Allow the interruptions. Accept the imperfections." I was feeling frustrated because I didn't want any interruptions at all and what I wanted was a perfect time with the Lord—both of which were absurd expectations.
Instead of getting frustrated, I can allow the interruptions to take place and savor them when they do. My son would interrupt me for just a moment—maybe to show me something or to have me read a page of a children's book. All I needed to do was give him a little bit of attention or a small hug. And so that's what I eventually began to do. I savored the moment with him by giving him a hug or reading a short excerpt from the book he brought. Before I knew it, he was off doing his own thing again until the next opportunity for a hug.
If I simply make allowance for the interruptions to take place, I will end up less frustrated. In fact, instead of seeing them as interruptions, I should see them as wonderful opportunities. I have an opportunity to experience a measure of joy in the interruption itself, provided that I am fully present to it. Our times with the Lord will not be perfect and that’s OK. We should accept that. In fact, there's likely no such thing as a perfect time with the Lord and it is certainly not the point of meeting with Him anyway.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
