Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 284 – A kind of praying

Let’s continue the theme of self-care started in Business Devotions 283 – Oxygen Mask.

“Sit with a story over the winter and learn it. Be gentle with yourself for at least an hour a day. Check up on a friend. Do something humanised and human-sized in the monstrous-sized calamities we hear about daily. That’s my advice. All of that can be a kind of praying. Vocalise beauty, manifest care.” Martin Shaw – A Thousand Fires

Attending to our own soul and humanity allows us to serve others authentically. Being gentle with myself is something I am still learning. I belong to Workaholics Anonymous, and one of the things we work on is finding our true self and staying with it. Our identity is not identified by what we do, no matter how meaningful our work might be. 

“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” — Philippians 4:8

One way I practise gentleness is by beginning the day with Morning Prayer with Terri and ending it in Compline, ancient rhythms of stillness that help frame both waking and resting. These gentle hours prepare me to meet the day and then to release it at night.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.” — Colossians 2:9–10

Attending to our own identity, beauty, and gentleness in ourselves and in Christ is not retreat; it is readiness. It restores the luminous ground from which all true service grows.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You are our fullness and our rest.
Teach us to be gentle with ourselves as You are gentle with us.
Help us to sit with Your story until it shapes our own.

Amen