Sunday musings

These days I am really thankful for Sundays I can take at a leisurely pace. I usually go for a Sunday evening service and have the earlier part of the day 'free'. This has been a real 'Sabbath' time for me, as long as I intentionally let it be so - without filling up the time with house chores (there's always something that can be tidied......). Every moment is valuable because it seems that the hours just fly and by 5 pm I am getting ready for the evening service.

Today I am catching up on some journaling that I have neglected over the past few days. It is a discipline I value, one that keeps me more attentive to the inner and outer landscapes of my life. The few days after my birthday were hectic and a few times I did lose my cool, becoming grumpy and self- pitying in the process. Thankfully, I recognized it earlier, before any 'damage' to others was done...but still the nagging feeling inside was not something very pleasant. A lesson I guess I will have to keep learning is that at fifty and beyond, life can slow down. I can allow myself to take the little rests and even siestas I need..... it is only a way of honoring the body God has given us. And the stress when I do not would not only register by the grumpiness but would actually be unhealthy for the body.

I watched the TV movie "Tuesdays with Morrie" again today. And many of his words struck a chord, especially because I am sometimes caught up in a swirl of activity (even though a more mundane sort than Morrie's ex student, the sports writer was) But in the whirl of things, the more important part of life gets sidelined. It is praiseworthy to be efficient and productive but it is also important to build relationships that last. I realize that when I get worn out by over activity, I have no deep desire to connect with others. It becomes perfunctory, mere socializing because I have no space for others in my heart (it is filled to the brim with keeping up the pace).

These times apart are refreshing. Even though I may not be able to get away to a 'quiet place', surrounded by the natural world, I have a quiet space at home, and often, like today, the birds sing outside my window. Even at midday the birds praise their Creator by being and doing what they are meant to be and do. So too with humankind; we are embodied spirits, made to praise, reverence and serve God, wearing Jesus' yoke.