The Most Free and Alive Time in Your Life

Last week, I attended the United Methodist Association of Communicators Annual Meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I had a fantastic time meeting new people from all over the world, spending time learning more about how we can better communicate God's timeless message of love, compassion, justice and salvation through 21st-century technologies, and seeing examples of some of the best materials produced by some incredibly talented people.

But with all of that, the most personally profound experience at UMAC was decidedly old-fashioned.  Novelist Lynne Hinton led a workshop, "Write to Soul," that had me using pen and paper to capture emotions and insights as a spiritual exercise.  I want to share one activity completed in this workshop - both the process of the activity and its result.

The activity was to answer reflections questions on "the most free and alive time in your life."

1. What was a time in your life when you felt the most free, the most yourself, the most alive?
2. Recall some details of that time: when, where, who were you with?
3. What was that time like for you?  What did it feel like?
4. What was the grace of that experience?  What does it seem God was wanting to say to you?  How can it inform your present choices?

Once we'd written some words, phrases, and/or sentences in response to each prompt, we were invited to review our responses and select six phrases as particularly meaningful or poignant.  Then we numbered them from 1 to 6.

Using those six phrases, we then built a three stanza, free form poem using the following formula:
     Stanza 1
         Line 1 - use Phrase #1
         Line 2 - use Phrase #2
         Line 3 - use Phrase #3
         Line 4 - use Phrase #4

    Stanza 2
        Line 1 - repeat Phrase #2
        Line 2 - use Phrase #5
        Line 3 - repeat Phrase #4
        Line 4 - use Phrase #6

    Stanza 3
        Line 1 - repeat Phrase #5
        Line 2 - repeat Phrase #3
        Line 3 - repeat Phrase #6
        Line 4 - repeat Phrase #1

Here is my result:  The Most Free and Alive Time in My Life

Friday, 6 a.m., in front of my dresser
I stepped on the scale, and I reached a new low
80+ pounds had been lifted from my body
I was a kid again, but with the maturity of soul to appreciate it

I stepped on the scale, and I reached a new low
Still, I have trouble recognizing myself in the mirror
I was a kid again, but with the maturity of soul to appreciate it
"You are not fat!  You were created to be healthy; your body is God's Temple"

Still, I have trouble recognizing myself in the mirror
80+ pounds had been lifted from my body
"You are not fat!  You were created to be healthy; your body is God's Temple"
Friday, 6 a.m., in front of my dresser


I encourage you to try this exercise for yourself.  You may be as surprised as I was at how profoundly the result will impact you, and what depth of soul will be experienced in the process.