I struggled with blogging this week.
My mind is preoccupied, my heart is heavy, and my body is tired. I thought of a million things to write about. I thought about sharing how much I am enjoying my walks and the silence. How important it is to unplug our ears and listen to the sounds around us.
Another consideration was confessing how I church hop on Sundays thanks to all the streaming services that are available since the pandemic. When I don’t make it into the physical building for a variety of reasons, I hop between church services. I stream my local church, a progressive church, and a fundamentalist church. They somehow want the same things for folks…to find peace, hope, love, and Jesus. All these congregations have their interpretation of how to do that, and each congregation wants to be the “one” that is right.
But I digress….
I thought about writing how rude folks have been lately. I thought about writing about the suffering in our Country. Our Country is in a shutdown that is affecting thousands of federal workers who live paycheck to paycheck.
I thought about the illnesses that some of my friends and loved ones are battling.
You see, my mind is racing…so what do I do when I feel life is spinning out of control? I take a deep breath. I go for a walk. I sit still. I close my eyes.
In my stillness, I find my peace.
There is little that I can do to change any of the situations I mentioned. The only thing I am required to do is slow down and breathe. Listen to the sounds that surround me and show up most authentically.
Yes, my heart is heavy, my mind is swirling, and my body is tired. But each day that I get to rise up and take a deep breath is a privilege and an honor that I will never take for granted.
Whatever moment you are walking in, sitting in, living with…slow down, close your eyes (if you can), and take a deep breath.
There is nothing that our hurried spirits can do.
Only our still hearts, minds, souls, and rested bodies can genuinely show up when life gets complicated.
Oh, and it’s okay to laugh, cry, scream, and talk to someone. Life’s trials are never meant to be walked alone.
Lay your burden down and just breathe.