The Cracker Barrel Christ (30 Days of Mostly Silence-Day 6)

One of the things I loved about moving to the south was Cracker Barrel.  Growing up in the southwest, we had no such place (though CB has now moved into the southwest).  And one of the things I first loved about Cracker Barrel was the rocking chair.  Waiting didn’t seem so bad when you had these comfortable rocking chairs to sit in.  Suddenly waiting took on a new appeal.  Family/ friends could just sit and chat in a relaxed and unhurried manner.  Sometimes the waiting was almost as good as the meal.

I spent a good part of yesterday in a similar connection with Jesus.  As part of my 30 days of silence, practicing the Ignatian Exercises, I’m wandering around the Memphis Botanic Garden.  There’s a large house on the north end, with a covered wrap-around porch.  In the corners of the porch are pairs of rocking chairs.  I spent much of the morning in the one, above, on the left.  And I imagined that Jesus was sitting in the one on the right.

And though it was silent, I imagined that we carried on a relaxed and unhurried conversation.  I was still meditating on Jesus’ command in John 15:9 (make yourselves at home in my love), so I imagined that this house was Jesus’ house, this porch was Jesus’ porch, and these chairs belonged to Jesus.  Jesus had invited me to sit and talk.  And, eventually, Jesus invited me to make his house my house.  This, he said, is a house of love.  And I’d like you to make yourself at home in it.

Few things have been as meaningful to me as that time in the rocking chair with Jesus and his invitation to make myself at home in his love.

How are you spending unhurried time with Jesus today?