Amy Tindell As I scanned through the Associated Press website looking at the news last week, I came across an interesting article about the importance of having “Me Space”. The article went into detail about how working from home is driving many people to redesign their houses to include a closet, cubby, room, or alcove designed to be separate from work and family. These are places for quiet contemplation and meditation. The idea isn’t new. How many houses have a man cave, a “she shed”, an enclosed garage or attic, or a basement playroom? Having a physical space to create a separation between our work life, family life, and personal life promotes positive mental health. I would argue that it does a lot more than that.
While I don’t see myself converting my walk-in closet to a meditation room, I have two chairs in my house that are my space. One is in my bedroom. No kids, no dogs, and yes, sometimes no husband. He has a matching chair in the garage where he does his quiet time and relaxes. My other chair is my couch where I do my quiet time in the mornings. The kids can tell you, quiet time is called quiet time because it’s quiet. Maybe one day after the kids have moved out, I’ll get a whole room for myself, but that day won’t be any time soon.
But I have Little Space and Less Time…
I know for me, and so many others out there who live with a full house, finding space and time is a struggle. Training the kids to respect that space and time is also a challenge. When I mentioned the article to my sister, she sent me an excerpt from a book called “Only One Life”. The devotional and the book links are below.
It was all about Susana Wesley, the mother of 9 children, who was often left to care for the family and farm alone. She homeschooled all 9 kids while keeping the farm running. Her “Me Space” was a chair at the kitchen table with her apron over her head like a little tent. Her kids knew that if Momma was under the apron, they better not interrupt. She would read her Bible and pray under that little apron tent, and somehow, she managed to keep her sanity while raising all her kids.
So why was her “Me Space” so important? It was her time to pray. Whether it was sitting silently or crying out to God, this was her safe place to come away and meet with God each day. Her prayers are proof that “the prayers of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Susana’s sons, John and Charles, went on to preach to over a million people, and founded Wesleyan theology, which is the basis for the Methodist Church, among others.
It gives me chills to think about all the lives that continue to be changed today because Susana Wesley found her space with God under a worn apron.
The Purpose Is More Important Than The Place…
Very few of us can afford to set aside a whole room for our quiet space, especially if we live with other people. Most of the people I know identify a specific chair, bed, or even a closet floor as the location where they have their quiet time. For me and many of the people I know, the purpose of this place is what they have in common. This is where we spend time with God through prayer and meditating on His Word.
The world tries to tell us that “Me Space” is about me. Its purpose is to make me happy or more relaxed. It’s supposed to improve my mental health. But the key to all of this isn’t me or my comfort. I could buy a whole house of “Me Space” if money were no object, but without that quiet time with God, it’s a useless waste. Only He can fill me with things like peace, joy, and wisdom, and it happens in those quiet moments of prayer as I sit on my couch each morning.
What a difference God can make when our “Me Space” becomes “God’s Space”.
“Me Space”- The Associated Press
