Sacred Spots

Do you have sacred spots in your home?

I was thinking about this last week and noticed I have quite a few special cozy places where I like to sit quietly, sometimes alone, sometimes with a friend and just be. A space that becomes sacred, holy, peaceful. A corner to connect – with myself, with another, with God. Deep in my heart I believe God is everywhere but I find it hard to experience the Divine in many places – some spots seem more sacred than others.  Do you have those spots in your home?

Here are a few of mine.

My backyard swing. My backyard is seasonal though I do try to enjoy the outside year-round, I am not a winter person. Sitting on my swing, especially in the cool morning air of the warmer months, with a cup of coffee and my morning devotional starts the day off so wonderful.  I sway on the swing with Jesus and we talk and giggle and lift others up.  I raise my feet up like a child, close my eyes, and feel the motion back and forth as if Jesus were pushing me in a playground. A sacred spot for sure.

My “nook” by the fireplace in the front of the house is another spot. I move the two gliders once a year to make room for the Christmas tree, but most of the year they hold the space in front of the corner windows so I can look out into the front yard. This is a great place for friends to gather and hold conversations. We share lives here. Stories. Tears. Joys. I listen here. A sacred spot for sure.

My porch with the big windows. A few years ago, I simply rearranged one chair just slightly turned to face the backyard to face the morning sun so on a cold winter morning I could enjoy the outside. This simple change has created a new place for me to breath in sunshine, beauty, and moments of silence in an unexpected way. A sacred spot for sure.

The glider in my office is my prayer chair. When I sit there, I feel my heart open, my spirit quiet, and my soul slow down. I have an altar to the left and a table with my bible, devotionals, journal and other resources to the right. I am near the window to watch the clouds and little birds play. Far enough from the computer and my phone not to be tempted to pick them up or be distracted. I take in deep long breaths, close my eyes, and pray. A sacred spot for sure.

As I type this, I was wondering what other spaces I have and surprisingly the kitchen island came to mind. I have had such wonderful deep conversations with friends and family as we cooked and scrubbed pots and pans, shared a meal, shared stories, solved the world’s problems. I had never before considered its sacredness before this. But it is a sacred spot for sure.

And what about my desk as I write this blog post? I certainly prayed often as I write words, ponder what to put into sentences and plan for sermons and devotions for my work in my church. This is another place for listening deeply, for quiet wondering, for imagining what could be and exploring the what if’s and other questions rolling around in my soul. I sit here on zoom call with directees pondering their directions and decisions. A sacred spot for sure.

Then there are the thresholds throughout my home. As I pass through doorways, symbolizing the passing of time, boundaries, marking of new possibilities, I often forget to savor these moments. Yet these transitions are sacred too. Fleeting seconds go by so quickly we turn the calendar over and wake up one day and realize it is the end of August already. Where did summer go? How did we get here already? I don’t remember going through all those moments, doorways, hallways, sacred spots.

I want to honor all the sacredness in my life. To pause and give thanks for God’s goodness all the time for each day, for each moment, for each breath. To take the time to say thank you to you for reading these words today and finding sacred space in your day, your life, your homes and saying yes God is there with me too.

All is sacred. God is good.

Where are you finding sacred spots?