invite you to take a few minutes to reflect on a couple of questions. When have you felt the most embraced, loved, and comforted? Imagine the experience. What was going on in your life? Who embraced and comforted you? How did that experience feel?

For many of us, some of our memories of feeling the safest were when we were being held or embraced by someone we loved and trusted. Perhaps it was the memory of being held by our mother or father, or maybe our grandmother or grandfather.  Maybe it was the memory of being held by another person who we trusted that brought a sense of calm serenity. There is comfort in being still, quiet, and held.

While being held is a comforting force in our lives, many of us have not felt a comforting embrace recently – maybe even for a very long time. However, we can experience this wonderful expression of love at any time. We can have this beautifully calming experience with God. In fact, The Holy One welcomes this time of silent stillness with us. We can be reminded of this by His words, “Be still and know that I am God.”

You may be asking, “How can I be held by God who feels so far away?” Here are some simple steps that will enable you to experience the loving embrace and comfort of God.

• Find a quiet place. This could be your favorite chair or a comfortable outdoor space. Be careful to select a place where you will not be distracted or interrupted.
• Get comfortable, still, and quiet. Slip into the arms of God by becoming silent. Find a comfortable position and arrange your hands and feet in a comfortable way. Notice your breathing. Focus on emptying your mind. Rest. Be still.
• Invite yourself and God to meet. God doesn’t need an invitation but often, we need to be reminded to be open to God. A simple way of creating this invitation is to simply whisper, “Here I am, Lord.”
• Remain still, quiet, and open.
• Try to avoid forcing anything. It is not necessary to talk, think, or do anything special. Just be. If a troubling or distracting thought comes to mind, simply say “God, would you take this away for me?” and continue to rest quietly.
• Prepare for an intimate encounter with The Holy.

After you have completed this practice, you might feel great freedom, a sense of being rested, or new inspiration. However, sometimes after resting in God, you may not feel anything special. That is okay. God was still with you and was working in your heart. Don’t give up. Continue the practice.

Will you start making time to sit quietly in the arms of The Holy? I would love to hear about your experience.