Spirit Matters: Getting lost in space not always a bad thing

As a lifelong resident of rural central Illinois, I am fond of spaciousness and its healing properties.

When everything seems to be going wrong in my life, spaciousness can make it right.

A quick Google search defines spaciousness as “the quality or state of being large and having ample room or space. It describes a feeling of openness and lack of confinement, often associated with a positive experience of freedom and comfort.”

This is why one of my favorite things to do when life is too much is to go on a ride in the country by myself. Being able to see for miles in every direction gives my overworked brain permission to rest in the gift of space, which has a natural way of dissolving my worries and giving me new clarity for the path ahead.

It also gives the part of my brain that puts words and ideas together a chance to rest, so that when I come out the other side, I can speak coherently once again.

From a spiritual standpoint, the expansiveness of the landscape helps me to imagine the spaciousness and expansiveness of our heart. The late spiritual writer Henri Nouwen once wrote about the child of a friend asking him how big the heart is. Nouwen responded by spreading his arms out as far as they could go, and telling his young friend “Our hearts are as big as the world.” One could spend a long time reflecting on those words and finding insights that apply to various aspects of our life as humans on planet Earth, particularly now.

I haven’t traveled as much as many people, but the first time I went on a road trip to the American Southwest and the West Coast was wonder-filled. The spaciousness of the various landscapes enchanted me, and I’m pretty sure my eyes and mouth were wide open most of the time we drove.

This is the kind of attitude we should take into life each day, as though we are witnessing all this beauty for the first time ever, and to be perpetually awestruck by it. It is a good way to remind us how small we and our problems are in proportion to this multi-dimensional world in which we live, and the ever-expanding universe of which we are a part.

Spaciousness can teach us the right order of things. It can put things in perspective, especially when we allow ourselves the spaciousness that comes from turning off the electronic and other artificial noise in our lives. We give ourselves room to breathe when we turn off the noise of the round-the-clock news media and public figures who live to hear themselves speak, be idolized and keep the masses in a state of fear.

It is easy to take spaciousness for granted, until you don’t have it anymore.

Think of the millions of people who live in metropolitan areas who have never seen the vast, open space outside of the city. If they live in poverty, their eyes are likely focused on the particulars of their minute world. They might never get the opportunity for spaciousness to show them the way to a better or different life.

Spaciousness, though it might appear to be empty, is anything but hollow. It can be the spiritual medicine we need to hit the reset button in our lives and take the next step on the path of our unique, never-to-be repeated lives. These steps might lead to places filled with exciting new experiences we had never imagined for ourselves.

So, make the most of your life and give yourself some space.

SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column by Jerrilyn Zavada Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at jzblue33@yahoo.com.