Dear TSJ Friends,
I have been thinking a lot about aches and pains lately. That includes heart aches and physical pain and challenges. It has something to do with being in my seventies, I think.
What about you?
Do you ever wish you could stay in bed all day or sprawl on the couch with a cozy blanket, and a good book or movie or video game? No cooking, no cleaning, no transporting the kids, no laundry, no company presentation or running your business or grading student work?
Do you have fantasies of escape?
Do you feel like the demands and personal expectations exceed your energy, leaving you feeling stripped of confidence and vitality?
If so, you may be a teacher, a parent, a spouse, a leader, a business owner or a combination of such worthy commitments. And that is just for starters.
Let’s face it. Right now in our country and around the world a lot of people would love to escape the space they are in (either circumstantially or mentally and spiritually). In fact, many of you are going through very hard times.
Sometimes we need to be rescued and carried or coaxed into new territory to rediscover how great it is to be alive.
Sometimes our halos need polishing. And sometimes, like sheep, we need to follow our Shepherd to drink from the fresh waters of hope.
And water often symbolizes Spirit or renewal.
Solomon says the Lord is always Present and brimming with desire to carry us over the rocks and lift us out of the pits we stumble into. He also reminded me this week that Jesus sent us His Spirit to be our Helper and our Comforter.
So what will help us when our lamps are running low on fuel and our lights starts to flicker?
I have some battery operated candles. I really love them. They are safer in a house where there are pets, children or aging adults like us. I have two of them on our new fireplace mantle.
One of them, for some reason started to falter. It would light if I tapped on it but that did not last.
So, with a candle like that the perfect solution is simple (and a similar strategy works for us when our inner light falters). . .
*Recharge or change your battery!
Most of us need times of recharging. And what works for one might not for another. What recharges you when you start to drag?
While I pretty much know what helps me I often forget or lose spirit to practice them: I often need more quiet time, time in nature, or with someone who most often understands me and is honest with me and time to read.
Journaling helps. Exercise helps. Prayerful attitudes help. Music helps. Podcasts help. Noticing what is good, what is humorous and what is hopeful help too. Here are more ideas:
*Examine your mindset
Your mindset reflects and affects your attitudes – ie … your beliefs about yourself, your circumstances and about life itself.
For me… it is most often helpful to pause and examine my mindset.
Is it one that is fixed on believing something that serves me well or enslaves me in misery?
Do I adopt an attitude of not-knowing or of curiosity that will help me explore new ways of responding to life?
Lately John and I have noticed some aches and pains that are more frequent or troublesome than when a short time ago when we were younger. For example, our knees do not seem to approve of us jogging or running like we love to do – and have done for stress management during our career years..
When I see runners on our path I notice a twinge of envy. I think, “It should be me.”
If I indulge envy I become a bit unhappy and nostalgic for days gone by. Some people, I reason, seem to be able to run even in their eighties. This does not help.
So I recognize more and more that life has a certain shifting that takes place. We are often in transition from one stage of life to another.
When we acknowledge and accept “what is” we free up energy to enjoy exploring other ways to discover “what is possible.”
For example . . . now walking has become a delightful time of meditation and sharing for John and myself.
I keep coming up with ideas for “destination walks” which may be as simple as walking to a cafe or Dunkin’ Donuts to share a chai tea!
And we are appreciating the beauty of nature and the privilege of nurturing our relationship.
*Remember life is both grand and gritty!
Life is a both-and journey!
You will hear me say this so often you may tire of it.
Yet, it is the most helpful concept I have discovered to help me embrace both the nitty-gritty and gut-wrenching parts of life and the mysteries of grace and goodness, faith and hope..
We humans are both noble and neurotic, selfless and selfish, faithless and faithful, cowardly and courageous, critical and compassionate, malevolent and marvelous etc. The list can go on. We have capacities to be like demons and like angels.
*Embrace Your Life
Look at your unique life as a work of art and labor of love – a gift from God and shared with you.
Life is like a tapestry – displaying its beauty on one side and revealing its knots on the underside.
The grander the tapestry, the more knots will be needed. And the greater is the labor of love.
Life presents many raveled threads for us to untangle and that is both a creative and a courageous task.
So Solomon and I encourage you to . . .
- Recharge your soul’s batteries this week
- Remember life is a both – and journey.
- Re-examine your mindset
- Renew your spirit by fully embracing “what is” and explore ” what is possible”
Now . . . allow a gentle smile cross your face as you look at Solomon pretending to be smart.
