Finding the Center

Written by Jen Wednesday, 03 August 2011 12:39

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Alovely green planter full of blooming, pink portulaca sits on a table on my porch. Originally positioned on the center of the table's bottom shelf, someone moved the pot slightly to the left weeks ago. It's a little thing, but every time I look at it, I am bothered by the fact that something appears awry. And I think, "I need to adjust that." But I don't.

Until this morning. I moved the pot back to its original position. Finally there is balance. Took less than a second. And then I wondered in a sort of global, philosophical way, what else needs to be adjusted? (We're not talking about a life overhaul, but items that could use a little attention.) I'm guessing I'm not alone in wearing blinders to those inconvenient little imbalances that I'll get to, someday, when I have time. Is anybody else out there ignoring the obvious? Maybe a friendship has fallen away, or a child/parent could use some extra attention, or your marriage needs nurturing. Or the biggie: your relationship with God has become stale.

I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing gentleman yesterday morning. His life experience...which I may coax him to share with IM readers at some point...was a reminder to me that a little mindfulness goes a long way. He emerged from a traumatic childhood and could have stopped growing. He could have counted his blessings, made a comfortable life for himself and his family and accepted the status quo. But he continues to push for improvement, especially in faith matters. His relationship with God and his Catholic faith have become the center of his life.

As he spoke, I was reminded that all things fall into place when God is the focus. But...and yes, there is a but...we have to make an effort. God invites, but we have to accept. And it's not all that difficult. Start small and build. Read the Bible (begin with one book as your goal), pray more, go to church, know your faith. Your hunger will grow, and the most important relationship we have---with the Almightly--will deepen. With this comes peace and strength.

Start small. Start now. Sometimes, all you have to do is move a little bit to discover the center.