Mindfulness meditation: Being still in the presence of God (20 minutes)

This is a 20-minute guided meditation where we will focus on being still in the presence of God. Take time to get yourself comfortable. You may wish to sit on a chair, on the floor, or even to lie down on the ground in constructive rest pose. Take time to get settled, to get yourself comfortable. Give yourself a moment to allow the chatter of your mind to still. Allow the busyness, the long list of must-do's and should-do's to be put temporarily to the side. Now come into stillness. This is a sacred time to reconnect with something less transient, to be still and to know God. Bring your focus to your breath. There's no need to force or take unusually deep breaths. Simply notice the rise and fall of each breath, marveling at this beautiful gift of life. It is so good to stop, to marvel and be grateful for this breath of life. Feel the wonder of life that is in you right now. Rabbis and scholars have shown that the name of God is actually unpronounceable, that if the characters of the name of God are actually spoken as written, there are no vowel sounds, and if read literally, these characters are experienced as breath. If you think about it this way, with each breath we are saying God's name. What a beautiful and profound truth. With each breath we can call upon the name of the Lord. Bring your focus afresh to this breath of life. Marvel in it. Find awe in how close God is to us. He is closer to us than the air we breathe. You may find that your mind begins to be distracted and to pick up the things of this life that distract us, even in moments when we try to be still. But that's okay. Simply acknowledge that this thought has arisen, whether it's a worry, a memory, a plan or something else. Thank God he knows the thoughts of our heart and mind. He knows the plans he has for you. Thank him that he holds you in the palm of his hand. Gently release these thoughts to God and come back into focusing on your breath. On the name of God, consider the beauty of the life he instills in you with each breath. Feel the joy of each breath. And as you continue to sit or lie in stillness, you may again find that your mind seeks out alternative thoughts, worries or plans and that's okay. We've been created as thinking free-willed beings. Our minds have been created with such incredible capacities to dream, imagine and create. You can even give thanks for the fearfully wonderful way you have been wrought. Without judgment or condemnation, simply offer up those thoughts again. Perhaps it may help you to visualize the distracting thoughts being offered up open-handed to God as you exchange these for his stillness and you come again to focus fully on his breath of life in you. Psalm 46 10 says, be still and know that I am God. As we are still in this time, we pause from the many activities of our lives to place our focus on him. To simply know him, to be in his presence. With each breath, we acknowledge his name. Feel how wonderful it is to say his name, to pause and reflect on the beauty of saying his name. Be still and know that he is God. We can use this beautiful scripture as a mantra. As we breathe in, we can say in our mind, be still. As we breathe out, we can say these words and know. As we breathe in, that you, as we breathe out, are God. Take time now to repeat this mantra with the rhythm of each breath, fixing your mind on him, taking time to be still before him. to allow your mind to focus on the wonder of his presence. That's okay. This is not a time to make you feel bad about how busy your mind may be, or to feel bad about the lack of stillness you may feel in your heart, body or mind. God loves that you simply have the intention to pause and be with him. Allow your heart to feel gratitude for his grace and love. Extend that grace and love to yourself. Allow the knowledge of such overwhelming love to cover you right now, no matter how you feel. Breathe in his goodness. Breathe out self-criticism. Breathe in his love. Breathe out your tension and worries. Be still and know that he is God. And if your mind has wandered, that's okay. Bring your focus back to your breath, the breath of life, the stillness of the creator of the universe resting in and around you. Being still before him, knowing he is God. And as we come to the end of this time of stillness, we acknowledge his presence is with us every moment of the day. He will never leave us or forsake us. As we move from this quiet moment in our busy day, take a moment to ask for his stillness to stay with you. Ask for his tangible presence to move with you as you face all that must face today. Take the beauty of his stillness into your day. Take the knowledge of his beautiful name with each breath into everything you do. Take his peace which passes understanding into each situation you face. Even in the hustle and bustle, it is possible to be still and know that he is God. At this point, the music will continue to play for another five minutes. You may choose to spend this time slowly rising, slowly engaging with all that you must do today. You may choose to arise right now, but whatever it is that you do, do so carrying his peace forward with you, knowing his presence is with you.