Do you take the time to reflect on your day before you go to bed? “Sleeping with Bread” (written by Sheila, Matthew and Dennis Linn) is a book about the examen (St. Ignatius) and it talks about asking two questions at the end of the day. There are many variations to these questions, but here they are in their simplest form:
What do I want to thank God for today?
What do I want to ask God for today?
The book is short and easy to read and it gives many examples of how powerful this prayer is. I would never be so bold as to think that I could add a third, but since this is my blog, here goes:
What do I need to learn from my experiences today?
This question helps me to put things into the proper perspective. I can take a perfectly horrible thing that happened to me that day and turn it around. I can say to myself, ‘ok, you can moan about it, wallow in self-pity, or try to find the hidden lesson in the midst of it all’. For example, I did something (have no idea what) to my left thumb. It is so sore that I am limited in how I can use it. Every time I move it I feel pain….
So, the question becomes….what can I learn from this injury? Maybe I need to remember that other people are hurting right now from illness and injury and maybe I can remember them in prayer. Maybe I should remember that I am vulnerable and that this is a journey, not my final destination.
If someone cuts me off on the road…instead of getting angry, what can I learn from that? Perhaps compassion, maybe that person has something ‘heavy’ on their mind and that distracted them? Maybe I need to be more patient? Maybe I need to remember to thank God more often for watching over me!
My ‘new’ question has invited me to think a little deeper, pray a bit more often, and love a little more……
At the end of the day…….what can I learn, how can I grow, how can I better follow Him?
Reflections on the Journey 
I try to end each day with quiet time, usually spent reading, often with a cup of tea. It’s a way to unwind and on some level, process the day. It’s necessary for me, and having this downtime actually enriches my days.
Thank you for suggesting a really good way of looking at my day.
I do make a daily review a bit similar to the questions you are suggesting. One question I particularly like is “Where did I find Godde today?”
I also like to jot down those parts where I felt threatened, triggered, old buttons that had been pushed.
I will see how I can include your questions as well. Thank you again!
Thank you for the idea, Andie. It’s a positive approach, which I find appealing.
Andie, one of my favorite parts of the day is at night when I turn lights out. I thank God for the day, talk things over about what went well and what I want to do better at tomorrow 🙂 Sometimes I fall asleep, and I hope He doesn’t mind….Lori
It’s always good to find ways to listen more closely to Him.
Like Joanne, I also try to end my day with at least 30 minutes of quiet reading in bed, then a prayer before I fall asleep.
I have always struggled with asking God for anything; I am so thankful for all that He gives to me everyday that it almost seems greedy to ask for more.