Red Hot Ruby's

Biologically, I am a large houseplant with bones.  Psychosocially, I am a pattern of actions, following a pattern of thoughts, often the product of a mind left to run its own course, heavily influenced by many things external, mostly simple carbs and YouTube. 

Static. 

There’s a lot of static in my journey right now and I’ve been feeling lost, sidetracked, derailed.  But despite my biopsychosocial staticky status, I see what’s happening.

So how do I turn down the static and become more amazing? How do I show up for my earthly assignment and be the person I know I can be, the one I want to be? How do I find myself, get back on track, tune in?  Again?  WTF? (I love a good question.)

The answer is ritual.  I need ritual.  

According to a popular dictionary, ritual is: 1. a formal ceremony or series of acts that is always performed in the same way and 2. an act or series of acts done in a particular situation and in the same way each time.  My personal definition is “doing something on purpose, predictably and on schedule, proving to me that I can count on myself.”  The basic concept of a ritual can be used generously. 

But I wanna’ talk about SPIRITUAL ritual.  Spiritual ritual represents something more!  It represents a structure, a bridge, a container, path, garden for the growth of soul and meaning.  THAT’S the ritual I need. A ritual that redirects and protects the evolution of my amazing spiritual potential.  Both a verb and a noun.  

The answer is also prayer.  I need a prayer ritual.

One of my earliest memories is seeing my parents pray.  They would end every day with prayer, on their knees, on each side of their bed, before crawling in.  My maternal grandmother, Edna, was often described by people who knew her as a “prayer warrior”.  She was indeed that.  She was also a poet, and nearly all of her writings were prayers.  One of my last memories of her, she told me that she was praying for my future.  I still feel it. Prayer is in my physical and spiritual lineage, and I have NOT given it the priority that I believe is my destiny, my assignment, my capacity.   

Don’t get me wrong, I am already a practitioner of prayer.  I am a Baptist preacher’s kid for Christ’s sake.  A Reiki Master.  I’ve collected jars and created journals full of written prayer requests for decades.  But my current prayer life has become diluted, sloppy, reckless and I realize that it does not anchor me in the way that it has in the past, and I want that back in a foundational grown-up version that serves my current hopes for this existence and for my future.  I want that feeling of comfort and predictability and routine and inner stability and reassurance.  Trust.

Organic processes decay on this planet without attention and maintenance . . .reminding me that even spiritual ones must be cultivated.  Worked on.  Ritualized. 

Hence this very personal post.  I share it as my story. I know I’m not the only human that feels this way.  I know that this is an oversimplification.  I am aware that this is a framework to build on.  I know God (I call the HP of my understanding “God”) has so much more for me.  Right now.  I just have to continue showing up regularly.  Very regularly. 

Therefore.

I claim the following Prayer Ritual: I commit five minutes every morning and five minutes every evening as times for my prayer ritual. In the morning, I will spend five minutes praying for God’s guidance and comfort while I am waking up.  Gratitude for another day.  In the evening, I will get down on my knees next to my bed and pray, gratitude for another day, take my personal inventory, and to listen to God. 

Amen.

Remember, Miss Ruby loves you very VERY much. 

Ps: Prayer is very real.  Take it seriously. Watch for God’s reply. 

Art and words by me; Ruby Karen A. Wilcox, CRP, AGS, CADC

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