Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Rhythm, heroin, jesus, and things

I have no idea how to title this. I was originally going to write this morning about getting up late. I usually set my alarm clock for 6 am (even though I don't leave for work until around 9). This morning I woke up at 7. I don't know if I forgot to set the alarm, or if it went off so many times I finally just turned it off. At any rate, I decided that I was not going to rush myself. I still went about my usual morning routine, and somehow I still ended up being able to get everything done - including a 30-minute walk. Weird how that happens sometimes.

Well, while I was walking, I remembered reading a Facebook post someone put up yesterday. I don't really even remember who, but they were quoting someone else (I don't remember who that was either). Anyway, the quote was: "Jesus is not like heroin; he's more like 3 square meals and 8 hours of sleep a day." I have no idea of the context but... I get that. I think.

It's not that Jesus can't transform us in an instant, or that miracles can't happen... But we can't sustain ourselves on a life of that sort of dramatic event. They can happen, but there also needs to be some sort of daily rhythm involved in following and living out the ways of Jesus. It's like Eugene Peterson's, "a long obedience in the same direction."

So... that's just a brief morsel of 'all that'... but it's where my mind was this morning. I am a person who needs life rhythms. And, honestly, right now I could stand to establish some new ones (or old ones). I do not need any heroin though.

1 comment:

MR said...

I would certainly think that people who tame their lives are more open to all kinds of things. They're the only ones paying attention, really, everyone else is completely distracted. That's why I like walking instead of running. Running does relieve stress, but a good portion of that is chemical--you could make a case for runners self-medicating using natural drugs. Walking is more like meditating. It allows you process and compile all those random elements like something someone said on Facebook. I actually get annoyed when someone sidles up beside me or is right on my heels because, other than the people I wave to, I don't want to be interrupted in my thoughts.