Where is God calling you today?

A pleasant surprise from my balcony one morning.

One of my favourite pastimes is imagining all the possible ways my life can go wrong. I wouldn’t recommend this as a habit, but it’s amazing how chronic overthinking can really fill up your day.

It’s usually after way too much time spent in this spiral that I remember the way out; a secret I first learned from Catholic American author and speaker Mary Lenaburg, quoting from Jesus’ sermon on the mount, at a WOW-T conference last year: “So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

While I love the entire passage on Trust in Providence, this one question cuts to my restless heart: “Can any one of you, however much you worry, add one single cubit to your span of life?” (Matthew 6:27)

I mean, what else is there to add? Ruminating like it’s an Olympic sport doesn’t make us any stronger or better prepared to tackle what lies ahead. And yet so many of us are gold-medal champions in obsessing over imaginary scenarios that never actually occur. How do we channel this energy and direct our thoughts to something (or someone) who can use them better?

That’s how I first came across the Daily Examen by St. Ignatius Loyola. It truly felt like the answer to my prayers by inviting God into the conversation. St. Ignatius described this technique in The Spiritual Exercises, which he completed in 1533. As founder of the Society of Jesus, he made it a daily requirement of the Jesuits to practice twice daily, at noon and at the end of the day. 

The best way I can describe the Examen is a guided meditation with Jesus. It’s a way to spend a few minutes talking to Him every day about what’s weighing on your heart and mind at that time. If you have never practiced the Daily Examen – or tried it and weren’t quite sure if you were doing it right – there’s no need to worry. Trust me! You can start any time and you can’t do it wrong.

Here’s a summary of this five-step meditation:

1. Become aware of God’s presence. 

2. Review the day with gratitude. 

3. Pay attention to your emotions. 

4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.

5. Look toward to tomorrow. 

You can find a short explanation of each step by reading How can I pray? (and there are so many great resources on Ignatian prayer and spirituality on this website). The full exercise can take as little as five to 10 minutes each day or more, depending on how much you have to say and how long you’re willing to devote to listen.

Lately, I’ve been doing the Examen on my early morning walks before work. I feel truly blessed to start my day in the sunshine, offering my to-do list to Jesus and asking Him to rearrange my plans His way. Then calmly accepting whatever comes as His response. I’ll admit, I’m still working on that part.

It really is a practice that rewards and strengthens your spirit over time, unlike compulsive worrying.

P.S. In case you need another reason to start praying the Daily Examen, July 31 is the feast day of St. Ignatius Loyola. So you can also pray a novena to St. Ignatius Loyola on the Amen app, starting July 22.