I enjoy coffeeshop culture. You never know who you might run into, and for me the steady hum of conversations, orders being made, and keyboards typing, is an environment for getting things done. I find at home that there are many distractions of things I could/should be doing and of course a coffeeshop closes so I have to complete whatever I’m working on by then.
But I ran into a hiccup in my process this week while writing my talk. For some reason my computer couldn’t connect to the wifi. My phone could, a person sitting near me could, but my computer was trying with only intermittent success. I’ve experienced slow connections in really busy shops before, but this wasn’t the case, though slow connection is also annoying and progress inhibitive.
How does this relate to the spiritual journey? There are times when we feel like we are not connected with source or that the connection is spotty. It’s hard to know what to do without that inner compass helping to steer the way.
I’ve had days when I sit to meditate and I feel like I get a big fat zero out of it. Where’s the sizzle of clarity and truth? When I was not as experienced with meditation I would sometimes be discouraged or defeatist about a day or two (or week) of perceived spotty connection.
When my computer is acting up, I close everything down and restart. When I was working on my talk, and after a few minutes it was obvious that the internet connection wasn’t going to happen, I just put a note in it to look up the information I needed when I got home and went on writing.
What if I did the same with meditation? What if I released whatever busy-ness I’ve got going on and the story about how the connection isn’t working and just be here? If my spiritual connection feels spotty, I certainly won’t find resolution in fighting it or forcing it. It’s much more effective to put a note in it and come back to it later or even braver, sit anyway.
Because when it comes to spiritual practice, there is no router to go reset, the signal is always on. But our receptors aren’t always calibrated and ready to receive. That calibration happens through consistent meditation and prayer. Part of the reason I commit to a daily meditation practice is because it helps me to heal, grow, and be more peaceful. But I believe that there is another aspect, which is that we all go through times when it’s hard to get still and meditate. In times of illness or grief it can seem like the signal is weak, when our hurts are louder than anything else. It is these times when the build-up of our faith can act as the spiritual parachute to bring us safely to a place where we can function and meditate once again. It is these times when our spiritual community can act as signal boosters and hold the truth of our divineness.
So when it seems like your connection to Spirit is as flaky as a busy coffeeshop’s wifi, start by restarting and relaxing. Have patience, and remember the signal is always on.
Rev. Rachel