When Rhodes (The Soul at Rest
) set out to write this book, she anticipated extensive time in prayer through long retreats and walks on the beach. It seems God had other plans: her grown son and his young family moved in, and solitude was suddenly quite thin on the ground. This, says Rhodes, is all too common and is in fact the point: we need to find ways to weave spiritual practice into lives already crammed with obligations. Like Denise Roy in My Monastery Is a Minivan
, Rhodes uses short chapters to explore the idea that spirituality can and should be achieved within the context of the lives we actually lead, not the simpler ones we fantasize about. Can’t find an hour for your daily “quiet time”? Try praying for five minutes, or even just one. Seize moments of silence amid the chaos; use the weekly Sabbath to more fully absorb God’s restfulness; practice a regular fast. Rhodes capably draws on her own experiences and on Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox traditions to advocate small, realistic steps on the path to holiness. (June)
