God is Holy. Whatever glow of holiness attached to life comes from attempting to live in the holy shadow cast from the presence of the creator. My task is to clean my own created debris fields, so that I can better encounter the Holy Space of God.

I cannot create Holy Space—God is Holy—Holy Space is His. What I can do is make space to better experience the Holy. I think of three areas in my life where I can adjust personal space to make my move into Holy Space easier.

First, I can Create Structured Space.

Every morning, I take my orange juice and a bowl of cereal into my home office to spend 30 minutes letting God’s Word speak to me through Scripture. I am doing nothing less than clearing the clutter to better access Holy Space.

At an earlier point in my life, I knew I needed to read God’s Word, but none of the annual “read through the Bible” programs worked for me. I would get behind and discouraged, never to catch up—so I would give up in frustration.

My current method of staying in scripture is most likely unique to me.  However, for the past 12 years I am consistently in Scripture. Wired like an engineer, it dawned upon me to read the Bible with a calculator at my side. When you finish laughing, you can move to the next paragraph.

OK, I know this sounds weird. I discovered I could take the number of pages in my Bible and divide by three. That meant I had to average reading three pages per day. That is about three chapters each day. The key was to start my day with Scripture at a set time and place. That moves my mind into Holy Space.

On days when my attention span is a challenge, I may read a chapter and close my Bible. Then there are the days I get involved in the adventures of David, Elijah, Jesus, or Paul, and I read several pages to take in the entire story. With my trusty calculator by my side, I pace myself to see where I am. Am I on a two-page-a-day pace or a four-page-a-day pace?

When I first started, I didn’t worry if I completed my reading during the year. For the first two or three times through Scripture, it took me 15 to 18 months. That was OK. At least I was creating space in my life to get through Scripture and closer to Holy Space. In this way—strange to only me—I move into Holy Space and now read through the Scripture annually.

Second, I can Create Car Space.

I do not synchronize my ignition switch to the radio. When I enter into the car, I am alone and the space is quiet. Living in a large metropolitan area, I experience a lot of windshield time. Windshield time lends itself to Holy Space.

It is not a good idea to drive and pray with my eyes closed. However, while I am in transit I chatter to God, think about Kingdom matters, sing, reflect on struggle, or perhaps think on ways I can better align my life with God. Car space helps me be conscious of Holy Space.

If your car is loaded with friends, family or soccer kids; by kindness, thankfulness, fun, and the direction of conversation, every seat can move toward Holy Space.

Third, I can Create Quiet Space.

This one I do not do well. Previously, I mentioned that the world is God’s world and He is omnipresent. He is in jail cells and walks throughout bustling cities. Yet for me, I find times of solitude in nature conducive to my own awareness of Holy Space.

When I was serving as CEO of a non-profit entity, I would spend one week a year in the mountains of northern New Mexico. It served to clear away life’s fog. The cool night air, the breeze in the trees, the stars, mountain creeks, all served to help me be more intensely aware of God. It was refreshing to pause in Holy Space.

My current struggle is my own lack of intentionality in creating quite space. I need your encouragement.

What are your reflections? How do you live close to the Holy Space of God?

– Gary Sorrells