Sacred Spaces

Sitting outside my professor’s office I was getting antsier by the minute. It just wasn’t fair and I would tell him so! Dr. Bleasby’s Oral Interpretation class was required for every Speech Major. It was a simple class really. All one had to do was read aloud various pieces of literature in such a way people understood what each reading was about.

In preparation I practiced each assignment for hours in my dorm room to the point where every one was committed to memory. But, no matter what I did, or how much I prepared, I could never manage better than a ‘B’ from Dr. B.

Thoroughly frustrated I had made an appointment under the guise of asking for some “coaching.” In doing so, I figured I would get some answers and have the opportunity to convince him I deserved more A’s than B’s.

In the midst of my third (silent) rehearsal of what I was going to say, the door to Dr. Bleasby’s office suddenly swung open and there he stood. “Come on in Jim,” he said with a friendly smile and a beckoning wave of his hand. He motioned to a leather chair opposite his old wooden desk which he sat behind facing me. The afternoon sun filtered through the window warming the back of my neck.

Dr. Bleasby leaned back in his chair; his glasses perched on the end of his nose and his hands steepled in front of him. He looked like a painting by Norman Rockwell. “How can I help you?” he asked in his soft, mellifluous voice. “I would like to talk to you about these,” I responded, handing the rating sheets across the desk to him. My hand was steady, but my voice quavered a bit. He gave them what appeared to be only a cursory glance, as if he knew exactly what was in each one.

“What about them?” he asked. This was my opening. Leaning in slightly I launched into my well rehearsed rationale for why I deserved A’s and not B’s. Most of my arguments hinged on how hard I had worked and the amount of preparation I had done. Finishing with a flourish I leaned back in my chair crossing my arms.

Dr. Bleasby sat there quietly considering me for a bit, his chair swiveling slightly side to side. Finally he pushed his glasses up onto his forehead and leaned forward over his arms which rested on his desk. “That was a nice little speech Jim,” he said with half a grin. “Your work is just fine and I can tell you spend a lot of time preparing.” “That’s not really the issue though.” “Even your elocution is good, but it’s not pronunciation or inflection that’s your problem.” I listened carefully as he seemed to be getting to his point. “If you want to learn to do this really well the solution is simple.” “You read the words, but you must learn to read the spaces as well.”

Great music requires notes and rests; otherwise what we call music would be nothing but a single tone modulating in pitch and volume. If musical rhythms are made up of rests (spaces) of different durations then the rhythm of our life must be made up of these same “rests” or spaces as well.

Our daily lives are filled with activity and events often overlapping, even occurring simultaneously (what we call multitasking.) Extended periods of activity give us a sense of purpose and a feeling of accomplishment, but they can often mask or distract us from fears of unworthiness or doubt. “If I stop moving something might happen to me.” Or, “If I don’t work all the time I might lose my job.” We seem to operate very successfully on the surface, but the result can be that our lives lack depth or what someone once called “interiority.”

Successful living is not measured by the amount of activity in our lives, but in the content of our lives. This “content” can often only be recognized in times of quiet contemplation and reflection. Otherwise it is like taking a vacation without ever getting off the bus.

In our lives we need to learn to read the spaces as well as the words. In other “words,” along with experiencing daily activity, we must take time to experience the spaces in between. To some of us this may feel like goofing off. Taking a few minutes to ourselves now and then will seem uncomfortable or unnecessary at first. Regardless, take the time to take the time to pause and reflect. Ask yourself “how are things going?” “What have I done well so far today?” “What could I do a little better?” “For what am I grateful today?” “What relationships need mending or tending to?” and so on.

The presence of God is found in the spaces of our lives, not in the flurries of activity. Take time to “read the spaces.” You will find it is the best part of your day.

Dear God: Remind me to meet you in the spaces of my life.

“The spaces between the beads are just as important as the rest of the rosary.” ~Unknown


© 2011 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.

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