During the warm seasons of the year I have my backyard gardens to enjoy. There are what I call the social gardens where I sit when I am ready to welcome company—my husband, a grandchild, a friend. Then there are the meditation or quiet gardens where I sit or kneel when I wish to be left to myself. Inside my house there is both my bedroom and meditation spaces in two other rooms: our living room and our dining room.
In all of these places I am able to go, shut a door (if I wish to be left to my self) or sit with the door open if I am willing to receive another. I own several Touch Time inducing items. One is the large flat vibrator that I call my Baby Thumper. It does a marvelous job of breaking up the tension that likes to find a resting place in my back. I also have a sound machine, a falling rain chime, a rain stick, tingshas, zen chime, and a hot rock spa that does marvelous things for my body whether I place these hot rocks across my forehead, between my fingers or across my upper chest.
As you can see by my examples, there can be Touch Time for when I am alone with my thoughts, my Godde, my visions, my dreams. These kinds of Touch Times – when I allow God to touch me with new understandings – is essential to my health and wholeness. They strengthen me. What do you do that is organic and gives you strength? What might you try?Touch Times can happen in special places with other women. Touch Time can be getting up early at the retreat center in Carefree, Arizona to leisurely watch the sunrise over the labyrinth set in the desert soil. Such Touch Time has us feel the boulder beneath us as we sit as we touch our own soul through our eyes. We are reminded anew of God’s amazing creation. Our heart weeps with thanksgiving.
Another Touch Time is exploring Godde with one or several other women. Let me tell you a story.
There were ten of us. We gathered in the desert to consider how to pull unity from the division that society has given us as women from different so-called races, different ages, different parts of the country. Our discussion ran deep and more than once these women forced me to open myself more fully to God’s grace.
The Lord had brought us together. It was my task to facilitate our discussions. I had to listen with my heart relying upon Godde to give me understanding. I had to speak consciously, made fully aware by Godde of the impact any and all of my words were capable of having. Godde was faithful.
We touched. Our souls touched. And, the Touch Time was not singularly between myself and the other women. We began our five days together with each of the women having their relationship with me as their primary link. With each over a number of years I had cultivated affirming levels of trust. This was their first time together as a group. They proved to me the spiritual value of Touch Time as they turned from me to each other and, sometimes timidly, at other times boldly, touched each other. Touch Time.
So, Touch Time can be talking about our most important treasures with another person who treasures the same things. For the women in the desert our common treasure was the God that dwells in each of us. Their natural link was myself – their Touch Time took us into a holy space that I know we will all recall for years to come.
Touch Time is time spent allowing Godde to simply fill our senses, soothe our cares, and direct our path. Touch Time is taking the time to allow God into our lives, our dreams, and our relationships. It isn’t always named but it is always intentional.
