CHAPEL OF THE MIND

Let me sit down, relaxed, in a quiet place,
in a comfortable chair, to seek deeply
the innermost solitude of my being.

Let me create a chapel in my mind,
high on a hill far away from the busy world: silent, empty, lit only with shafts of sunset through stained-glass windows.

The sweet scent of incense lingers.
I sit in quiet peace.

As thoughts and cares of the day
return to my mind I can wrap them
in gossamer scarves of candle-smoke,
and they dissolve into the far distance.

I clear my mind, Lord, and sit in silence.
Please send me peace, contentment, concentration.

In my soul's eye, now I see a heavy wooden,
iron-bound, chest which stands open before me.

Into this cask I place all remaining seemingly important pressing matters and distractions:
duties - responsibilities - worries
challenges - concerns - annoyances - fears,
all life's temporal distractions.

I place each deliberately deep down
into the box, and then I close the lid.
The chest locks itself and glides silently away into the dark.

Soul-deep silent peace embraces me.

I sit quietly with my mind and soul at rest.

I am alone, but I am not lonely.

God is with me.
God is within me.

All remaining tensions, uncertainties, disappointments, failures, responsibilities, drift away like so many points of light
fading into the dark.

Peace.

Silence.

No cares.

No worries.

Reassurance.

No responsibilities.

Now I move out of this place,
feeling lighter, easier, and I find my way,
floating along a cloudy star-lit path
which gradually extends, farther and farther
into into the clouds.

At the end of the pathway I approach a doorway
in the sky, and passing through, I come into
a dim corridor until I arrive at a quiet, welcoming chamber, where I feel weightlessness and lightness of spirit.

A heavy door closes quietly behind me,
but I feel safety, security, and not alarm.

The walls are deep-hued, velvety quiet,
and the room is lit as if by invisible candles. I seat myself in a deep comfortable chair, and sink into total, profound relaxation and peace.

After some time, I see a faint, soft
and shimmering glow which ever-so-slowly brightens and resolves: until I see
my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
right here before me in enveloping radiance.

No words pass between us, but His smile
gives me hope and reassurance.

I realize that He knows everything
that is deepest in my hidden heart,
and I become freighted down in trembling guilt and feelings of insufficiency.

Now tears well in my eyes as I regret
my sins, my unworthiness, and so many past evil deeds and omissions, and for neglect
and lack of thankfulness for all
that He has given me in life.

He extends his arms, and I see where the nails have pierced His bleeding palms, and I know that my sins have deepened
those bloody wounds.

But then He raises His hands in blessing,
and with the slightest nod of His head
I feel that God is absolving me, cleansing me,
washing away my guilt and wickedness,
my evil thoughts and sinful acts, my failures
and betrayals. He is making all well and whole deep within my soul, and I am at peace.

We sit silently together for a long, long while until I lose all sense of time.

Now He smiles a radiant smile and I am thrilled with ravishing rapturous joy!

Then, slowly, He is gone.

I know now that I am not alone,
and that I am ready to return to my life renewed, confident, armored for the battle against evil, loved, energized and prepared
to do anything He wishes of me here on earth as best I possibly can.
I must succeed, for Him. I will.

Here I am, Lord. I am Yours!
Please hold me fast, God,
and never, ever, let me slip away again.
All this I pray to You, My Maker, My Master, My Savior, My Friend, My Loving Lord Jesus.

Amen

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