Pathways Press.com

MEDITATION:

Written by Laura Banning, a contemporary Bible Study teacher and author.

We have a guest here this week who came across country in his electric vehicle. He told us that during his journey he had experienced range anxiety which caused him to slightly modify his planned arrival and departure times. He doesn’t have a battery charger for his vehicle and he discovered that some of the locations he had planned to stop for battery recharge were not compatible with the make of his vehicle. As a result, he reworked his itinerary to include longer times for deep battery recharge at the locations he now knew would accommodate him. I had never heard the term range anxiety before and so I looked it up and, sure enough, the term has actually been around since 1997. Here’s the definition: “Range anxiety is the fear of running out of power before reaching your intended destination and being unable to recharge the battery. It stems from the fact that while a traditional vehicle can be filled up on almost any highway, charging stations aren’t yet as ubiquitous. Therefore, the possibility of running out of power and being unable to plug in is a valid concern.” And there are websites giving tips on how to avoid range anxiety. I found it most enlightening and, of course, a rich spiritual metaphor for us…In the last couple of weeks, we’ve been super busy between guest visits and travels. I was beginning to feel a bit of spiritual range anxiety myself. That is, I was missing my usual times of deep recharge and time alone with Jesus. But the truth is, there is no reason for this. Because I have Jesus with me, in me, all the time. So, if I am sensing spiritual range anxiety, it’s only because I’m not plugging in to Him. So, I want to put into practice these four tips from the ‘how to avoid range anxiety’ website. First, I want to begin every journey, every day, every moment on a full battery. I want to stay plugged in to Him. I want to review and modify my schedule, as possible, to incorporate being still in His presence. I want to slow down. And I want to pack less. I want to lay aside anything that hinders my ability to run with endurance the race set before me. I want to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith and let Him design my route. Here’s a quote I read this morning from I. Penington: “Retire inwardly; wait to feel God’s Spirit. Discover and draw away from that which is contrary to His holy nature, and lean into that which is acceptable to Him. As the mind is joined to this, true light and life will be received.” Will you plug in to Jesus, even in the busy times? Will you intentionally retire inwardly and wait to sense His Spirit? Will you draw away from anything contrary to His holy nature? And will you lean into that which is acceptable to Him?

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the North America Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church.

Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.