A Gentle Practice & 3 Questions for Welcoming a New Season
"We don't learn from experience."
That statement might puzzle you at first. But then, when you hear the next line, it suddenly makes sense.
“We learn from reflecting upon our experience...
I don’t want to spend my life reflecting, but I do need some time to reflect, with most of my time looking forward. Think of (looking back) like the rear-view mirror in your car compared to the windshield (looking forward) to give you perspective on how much of our time we should give to one versus the other.”
Trevor Hudson on this week’s Renovare podcast
We need both!
One of my favorite spiritual practices is the Examen, a prayerful pause where I look back and forward--to notice the times I felt closest and most aligned with the Lord and His will, and others when I felt the farthest away. You can do an examen at the end of each day or each week. One of my favorite times to do the Examen is the end of the month.
With a notebook beside me, I title a new page with the month and label two columns:
· Joys-Where I felt closest to the Lord.
· Challenges—Where I felt farthest away.
Then I look back on my calendar. I’m always amazed at how much happened in one month—when as I’m living it, it can feel like nothing extraordinary is happening at all.
Then I read through my journal, and oh, the insights that unfold! I am reminded of God's goodness and faithfulness, as well as the abundant blessings and joys. I also see my weaknesses—times when I worried instead of trusting, when I lived by what my circumstances told me instead of what God's word did.
That clarity helps me take one more step toward who God is calling me to become.
Then, looking ahead, I review the upcoming season, list key dates and priorities, and break things down month by month. On a fresh page, I write the new month, my “word for the year,” and my annual verse. Then, this may surprise you, I start a paragraph with the words, “I want …”.
For many of us, who prioritize the work of God's kingdom, acknowledge that His ways are higher than ours, and recognize that our motives are not always pure, we’ve learned to ignore or even distrust our own desires. We fear they’ll pull us off course.
In recent years, though, I’ve begun to see this differently. If the Spirit of God truly dwells within us—if we are abiding in a love relationship with Christ and surrendering daily to Him—we can trust that our desires may be from Him. That which we long for could likely have been planted in our hearts by His hand. Perhaps, instead of assuming our wants are suspect or sinful, we can begin to believe that He is gently shaping our desires.
So, here, at the end of August, as we stand on the threshold of a glorious new season, I offer you the monthly examen, along with three reflection questions from one of my favorite spiritual directors and authors, Emily P. Freeman, from her "End of August Letter." (see the link below to sign up for her newsletter, I highly recommend it!)
3 Questions for Your August reflection:
· What’s something you’ve learned this summer?
· In what ways did you notice God in August?
· What word or phrase do you hope will describe September?
Happy pondering and praying,
Lori
P.S. I'd love to hear … What blessings has God been bringing into your life this summer?
Resources Worth Noticing:
Renovare Podcast Episode – Trevor Hudson: What I’ve Learned about God’s Will.(*** Trevor’s Book, In Search of God’s Will, will be the first book of four in the 2025-26, Renovare Book Club)
Emily P. Freeman.com website, where you can sign up for her newsletter!
Other Articles You May Enjoy:
* Saturating Yourself in the Love of God: The Beloved Charter Exercise
* Now, That's What Faith Looks Like!