Written by Elaine Chatwin
Painting: Travel (mixed media on paper)
I find it easy enough to stay connected to the process of Lent while I’m in the routine of home life. Sunday is my Sabbath and Church day. There are small groups like Shared Faith and Life to attend, Centering Prayer friends to meditate with, books to read and blogs to write.
This year I am going to be travelling for 2 weeks during Lent and I have to admit I’m not sure how well I can maintain my connection while I’m away. So many distractions, new adventures, friends to see and, of course, a dose of jet lag just to top everything off. What’s a girl to do?
I’m going to keep my goals simple. I will meditate every day but will adapt my time from the usual 30 minutes to a minimum of 5 minutes… if schedules allow more, that’s all for the good. I will set my mind to a shorter prayer cycle as well. Some wonderful advice I received in my Shared Faith and Life group was to set goals that I can reach successfully 85% of the time. I think I can reach these goals that much. I’m also in the process of memorizing a prayer for part of my Lenten practice and I’m going to take a copy of that with me for the inevitable waiting in places like airports. Since I’m taking my cell phone with me, I’m going to download a couple of weeks of “Pray as You Go” modules on the PAYG app. Each module is only about 12 minutes so that will be useful for listening to just before bed.
So, that’s a pretty minimal amount of stuff to carry along on my trip. My phone has an app for timing meditation and prayer cycles as well the Pray as You Go modules. And one piece of paper will be all I need to continue my memory work. It’s totally possible to fit this into a travel suitcase or even a pocket.
I’m packing a little Lent in my suitcase with the intention of unpacking it every day. Will I make my goals? That remains to be seen. All I can do is try my best.