Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. – John 17:3

Get Centered
I have very recently been reintroduced to the world of yoga. I am just so excited about my new yoga-slash-pilates venture. I broke out my yoga mat yesterday for the first time in ages. It looked like it had spider webs and dust all over it; but thanks to my fabulous Apothecary Yoga Mat Cleaner, it is now spic and span! 😉 Once I completed the twenty-minute beginner yoga workout that I had braved so courageously, I was so proud of myself that I wore my yoga pants the entire rest of the day. I kinda wanted the world to see me and think, “Hmmm, she must do yoga.”

Yoga is beneficial in so many ways. It improves lung capacity, muscle flexibility and strength, blood circulation, and posture. But my favorite perks would have to be its ability to reduce stress and improve concentration (which I need!). One major reason people do yoga is because it helps get them “centered.”   Amidst the craziness of life, through yoga, one has the opportunity to take time out of their day to sit silently, forget momentarily everything that is on their schedule. I think those yoga folks are actually onto something that we could definitely learn from. We all need to get centered.

In order for us to stay stable and secure on the inside despite what happens around us, we have to find a way to stop the madness, even if just for a moment, and re-center. Your center is your heart. And your heart is your relationship with God. Everything profitable and fruitful comes out of that relationship. When it is healthy, everything else is healthy. Our connection with God is our source of love, joy, peace, wisdom, and endurance. Every ounce of life and power comes from our relationship with our Father. As we pursue and invest into this relationship, we are opening the door for the Holy Spirit to have increasing lordship over our lives. The only way to live by the Spirit is to have true fellowship with God. Finding time to get alone, silence the world around you, and pursue the heart of God is your key to unlocking the secret of the truest security and inner-strength you will ever find.

All of us need to stop sometimes, and remind ourselves of why we are here. We can all get off track, and our hearts, minds, and schedules will fill up so fast that if we don’t stop and re-center, we are bound to crack – even the strongest of us. Centering, at the core, is more than just praying. We have to work through all of that and get even deeper, to the true center, where it is just our heart in connection with God’s. Where, for a moment, we forget our list of needs and prayers, and we just love our God. Where we long for nothing but to know His heart and for Him to have all of ours. It is a moment where we just adore Him. Asking nothing of Him, in the silence, we let our hearts beat for Him alone. In these moments, you can feel your heart come alive again. That is how we find our true center.