1.19.2009

keep stepping

(by artist John Freel)

It's Monday, Martin Luther King Day, President Bush's last day in office, and the first full day of non-fighting Gaza.

I hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing today, you are able to find some ways to soak in, ponder, and participate in what the Spirit is up to in the world right now. Sometimes I get (DISCLAIMER: that should probably read "Oftentimes I get") consumed with what is happening in my own tiny sphere of life. But it seems at this moment in history, we are all being called oustide of our tiny spheres to an awareness of what is happening around us.

I've been pondering MLK's quote: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" Something to think about as we step out into the world today.

No matter what yesterday meant for our lives, we have today and all future days to explore a different course. My 'yesterday' was both amazing and not-so-amazing. It's strange how resolutions work. Just as I start to think I am doing so well: staying positive, focused, being uplifted and uplifting, how quickly I can start to relapse into old destructive thought and behavior patterns. It literally takes less than a second! And then, poof, I'm back to being consumed with my own life. Last night as I was resolving to just keep on trying my best to develop into a loving and compassionate person and pastor, I realized again how thankful I am for each new day; it truly is a fresh opportunity.

"temporary relapse"
falling suddenly backward.
in an instant,
so much forward motion lost.
the weight and momentum of the past
cannot be understated.
it is heavy. profoundly heavy.
but weak, too, in comparsion to the
force of possibility.
step ahead and move beyond.

(photo taken in Mexico in December)

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