Meditation for the A.D.D. Soul

For most people the word meditation summons up images of sitting motionlessly for hours on end humming at the universe while staring at a candle. That’s one form of meditation, but at a more rudimentary level, meditation is simply sustained attention. Today I want you to rethink meditation in terms of dwelling on something for a season in order to internalize it.

In recent posts, I have encouraged you to thinking on, ponder or dwell on specific things as Paul did in the letter to the Phillippians.  I even suggested specific practical practices.  I want you to realize though that to “dwell on something” doesn’t mean that you have to sit for hours motionless thinking about it. In fact, it may profit you more to repetitively come back to focused attention in bits and pieces, that’s how we internalize life lessons for the long haul.

I was thinking about this in terms of my daughter Ruth recently. She had to memorize a list of squares, fractions, and decimals for a quiz.  She did pretty well, but now the class is retaking the quiz and she realizes that she hasn’t really internalize the information.  She just shoved them in her short term memory hopper and that hopper has a big leak in it.  Now we are going back and having to re-learn.  

This practice of cram and release is common faith development issues.   We “learn” but don’t commit to applying ourselves for a season. We are excited and inspired for a short bit and then move on to something else. That’s a great way to accumulate information, but not a good way to experience transformation. As people we tend to be a bit thick.  We need repetition and practice for something to become a part of our character.  This is where meditating or dwelling with something in repeated moments of attention over a lengthy period of time comes in handy. Living with and living out lessons over time is how we grow from knowledge to understanding. This is how you gain maturity.  You can’t cram it.  If you try to cram it, when a test of maturity arises you will fail.

So let me illustrate from my own life. Recently, I was practicing what I posted regarding dwelling on good people by reflecting on the life of one of my favorite figures of faith, George Washington Carver. (see also, Evicting Annoying Person From My Head) I would love to grow into the richness of faith that he had. The morning I reflected on him listed his characteristics I admire and activities he regularly did. That reflection got my mind out of a funk. I refocused my mind in a faith enhancing way. That’s great, but if I really want more, if I really want to have a faith as deep and rich as Carver, then I am going to have to sustain attention and application around what I learned. In a way, you could say that I need to meditate with my life for a month.

This kind of activity is what Paul was getting at when he told the Phillippians, “Brethren join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” (Phillippians 3:17) and “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phillippians 4:9)


Surfing the net
So how am I doing this? Since making my list,  I surfed Carver on the net.  Net surfing, when you sustain your attention around a specific subject, is one form of meditation for the ADD soul. You can bounce all over the place while ironically being focused on the same subject almost indefinitely.  I identified some biographies I would like to read, but inspired by Carver’s frugality I went to the local library instead of purchasing on-line.  

Quote Cards
I gathered quotes by Carver that inspire me.  I wrote these quotes on the back of old business cards and have them standing on my desk.  I browse them off and on during the day.  These quote cards are tangible triggers to sustain my attention.  I dated the cards and will use them for at least a couple of weeks. 

Journaling and distilling
In my morning devotion yesterday, I recorded what I found inspiring about Carver’s faith and sharpened my focus to three specific exceptional faith attributes:  1) Service was his calling.  2) He stressed doing common things uncommonly well.  3)  He voraciously sought understanding and strove for awareness of God throughout the day. These and other attributes I have tried to model over the past few days.
Applying
So how is this enhancing my faith.  I have been consciously seeking ways to give and serve more.  For example, I bought 33 boxes of macaroni and cheese for food baskets for the needy and I offered to watch a friend’s sick daughter while she went to a luncheon.  I used the library instead of ordering books on-line.  Inspired by one of Carver’s quotes that mentioned “being tender with the young” I played guitar for our church’s pre-school children.  I am by and large purging television from my mental diet.  These are just few tangible differences and there is much more.

Persisting
I will keep reading, writing, applying, envisioning, praying, surfing, etc. in a variety of ways about Carver’s life for at least a month.  That’s how you meditate when your ADD.  You sustain your attention with a collage of activities over a long period of time.  May be it’s only a minute here and there.  You browse some quote cards while waiting in a grocery store line. You listen to a tape on the way to work.  You write blog posts about what you’ve learned.  You make a subtly different decision on a purchase because of what you’ve read.  You pray a few more times in the course of a day.  All things over time fill you until you slowly become a very different person.  The thing is you have to keep at it until it is part of who you are.
So what are you “meditating” on right now?  What do you keep sustained attention around day after day?  What could you choose to focus on that would honor God and bring you to a place of exceptional faith.  How many of the actions above could you implement in bits and pieces?  Blessings to you as you seek to meditate and grow.  From The Practical Disciple.

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2 thoughts on “Meditation for the A.D.D. Soul”

  1. I am ADD meditating on my new business. The name is Trinity Science Solutions LLC and we developed a huge inflatable eroding canyon that my partner and I take to schools, set up in their gym, and teach earth science with. The idea was a gift from God so I am trying to make the most out of the idea as possible. So I am meditating on various aspects of the business so that it will honor God.

    It’s nice to know your definition widens the idea of meditation.

  2. Laurie, I checked out your site and your inflatable Canyon rocks (pun intended). Kudos to you for following your inspiration. I love what your doing. I do a lot of nature education as part of a non-profit called Ozark Tracker Society. Website at http://www.ozarktrackers.org. I am the bearded fellow on the right of the debris hut if you go there. Blessings to you for seeking to honor God through your business. The Practical Disciple, John Arnold

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