I treasure those first few minutes of the day, when I refuse to get out of bed until my mind and soul have had time to mesh.
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| My “take a moment” read Photo via SoundsTrue.com |
What I mean is, as soon as my eyes open, my mind begins its frantic listing of everything that must be done today, everyone who must be seen, every task that I left undone yesterday…..and on and on.
My soul yearns for a few gentle moments, to be grateful for my blessings, my husband, my children and my grandchildren, my long-time friends, my challenges for the day being quickly resolved.
So, I “make myself” stay in bed until I’ve had a few moments to pray, to breathe, to read something inspirational. Currently, I am reading “Sabbath” by Wayne Muller, along with a section from the Bible.
I have been reading Wayne Muller’s books for several years. Not constantly. But when I know I have the need to re-read and get a “tune up”. His writing speaks to my soul. He writes about the person I want to be…the mark I want to leave on this world. I have changed in many ways since I started considering his approach to life.
I understand that taking these moments in the morning for oneself is often not practical for a mom of small children. I’ve been there, I know.
But I urge everyone to find even a few moments each day to connect to your true self, and rejoice in your gifts and blessings. You might want to associate it with a “memory peg”. For instance, “when I’m stopped at a red light” I will send out good thoughts for my loved ones; or “when the buzzer on the dryer goes off” I will say thanks for each of the kids; or perhaps there is a special picture or painting in your home that will remind you to just say “thanks” out loud for no apparent reason.
Amazingly, this type of thinking really keeps me buoyed up. There are so many detours and setbacks to my daily goals. I am great at making lists which are seldom completed in a timely fashion. But they generally get done at some point before an emergency occurs.
I have grown in my ability to adjust when my “plan of action” is destroyed; when I need to adjust my agenda, because someone has a greater need than my little plan. Sure, I still grumble and get frustrated about it…but once I take a breath and realize another’s need is a bit more important, I start to relax and flow with the blessing.
The concept of “random acts of kindness” was popular for awhile….and many people have adopted it as a way of life. Mr. Muller calls this same concept ‘downward mobility,’ and I think his book came out way before the ‘random acts’ version.
Do small things, at the right moment, for whoever you can, with whatever you have.
It’s a great thing to teach our kids and grandkids too. It may not get any of us into the Guinness book of records, or on the front page of a local newspaper. But it can refresh and enrich the soul. And, that’s a great way to live.
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Category: GrandparentsTags: Christianity
