Advent II: The Diffuser

Before where I sit each morning is an artsy diffuser. Made by an artist in the mountains, it holds a candle below and a metal tray above. The candle heats the tray which is holding water and oils. When the water heats up, a wonderful aroma fills my studio. I light the candle each morning when I sit to center myself and it often helps create a climate of prayer and meditation, but not this morning.

Like many, I’ve stepped up my spiritual practices in Advent. Because of some pressing needs, I’ve let my usual routine of reading, writing and sitting still slide. Advent offers an invitation to reclaim those spiritual practices, but today it was all I could do to sit still for 20 minutes. I refused to get up but opened my eyes and waited for the time to pass. I stared at the diffuser in front of me, watching the flame flicker and the steam beginning to rise. I realized the diffuser itself was the meditation for the day.

My spiritual practices are the candle. Just because I light it does not mean the affects are immediate. The metal tray must heat up, then the water, before the steam rises. So, too, the affects of my spiritual work rise only in time. I must be patient with my reclaimed efforts knowing that they will warm my soul and cause me to bring forth that which is within me into the world. Watching the candle, I find it easier to sit still.