I’ve been writing about setting this week, so that’s still on my mind. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about one of the settings that most impacted my life: the monastery where I was postulant for nine months.

That’s for a couple of reasons. One of the sisters there who was a postulant with me and is now in her first profession emailed me her beautiful thoughts on my novel.

The other is that the Office of Readings (I still pray the Divine Office) has been going through St. Ambrose’s “On the Mysteries.” We had a course on that while I was at the monastery.

One of the things I loved about monastic life was the horarium, the term they use there for schedule. The life is SO balanced. There is a time for everything, and everything is in its place.

The focal point is prayer–Mass, the Divine Office periodically through the day. Everything else is scheduled around that. That includes meals, work hours, recreation time.

My temperament is such that I focus deeply on whatever I happen to be doing. I process things deeply, and it takes time. I get lost in thought and concentration, and so, distractions and interruptions are super jarring. I let them frustrate me more than I should.

I also really like having a sense of control, even though that is always so deceptive and misplaced.

Monastic life was GREAT for me because, with prayer time interrupting the schedule regularly, it taught me that interruptions can be beautiful. They can be embraced. They are wonderful, humbling reminders that our lives are not our own, and we are not ultimately in control. (Thank God for that!)

Do I still groan internally every time my phone rings at work? Absolutely. But I try to go back to remembering that I am not in control, and that balance is key.

Balance involves openness and resilience. It recognizes that if something unexpected happens to throw off what we want, or what we planned to do–especially if that something is an opportunity to love, or something urgent that must be attended to–that is all right. External balance will return, and we can maintain internal balance if we tend to God’s voice and handle duties and responsibilities as they arise.

Now that I’m back in the world, when it’s work out day and I’d rather write or read, I remind myself: balance. it’s not time to write or read right now. It’s time to work out.

When I don’t want to get up early to pray, I remind myself: first things first. Prayer is the ultimate priority. First fruits go to God.

The monastery taught me these things. The monastery made prayer a non-negotiable for me. I’m so grateful for that! The time may come when God will ask me to adjust how I pray, or the amount of time I pray, but for now, I have balance of a real kind.

That balance brings peace in the midst of fluctuations at work and other worldly uncertainties.