Space Matters

Life in the hermitage has been exciting, and a bit enervating of late.  A week ago I drove to Montreal, teleconferenced with faculty from my university in Wales, defended my doctoral dissertation successfully, and returned home, all within a 28 hour period.  I then spent the next two days in the hermitage recuperating from the intensity of this experience, sharing the good news with friends and family, and processing the comments from my faculty.  A smooth return to the routines of the hermitage, however, was not forthcoming.

Daily prayer and meditation are not falling back into place.  At first I blamed it on the combination of excitement and exhaustion I felt surrounding the whirlwind trip and return to daily life.  But now I don't think that's all of it.  I think the space in which I have situated the new prayer corner (see photos here) is working against me.  You see, the new prayer chair is turned to face the front door, and from there, out to the street.

As you may see from my earlier posts on the nature of living in the hermitage, it is a very inward experience.  My original prayer space was a rocking chair and tiny table with no more than the icon, chalice and paten on it.  The choice to relocate was in part related to the appearance of our winter stack of firewood in the place where my tiny table was.  A move was already coming, but the new space isn't quite right.

The Christmas tree will come into the house soon, and other furniture moves are in store to accommodate that addition as well.  I suspect the prayer corner will move again soon.  What I am learning in the process is that space and surroundings matter.  The hermitage is an outward and visible sign of a particular life, and as that life works itself out, its physical expression has its own impact on my spiritual life. 

Meanwhile, we prepare as best we can for the ultimate outward and visible sign of God's eternal Love for us, in all our awkwardness and brokenness, the Birth of Godself in human flesh.  Glory to God for the sacrament of Life.  All is well.