“I desire to live a sane and holy rhythm that reflects a deep love for God and respect for how I have been created.” –Adele Ahlberg Calhoun in Spiritual Disciplines Handbook
Yes, that is the rhythm that I desire as well. A sane and holy rhythm, emphasis first on the sane!
- Is it sane to expect my body to thrive on 4 hours of sleep and coffee?
- Is it sane to expect my soul to flourish on snatched seconds of prayer?
- Is it sane to expect relationships to thrive on one line emails?
I seem to have sane, realistic, and logical expectations for things that exist outside of myself. For instance, I know that my flower beds need water to live and so I set my sprinklers to run regularly. I know that my car needs frequent oil changes. I know that my children need at least 10 hours of sleep to be pleasant to be around.
Why is it so hard to have the same perspective on my own being? I feel restricted by the demands of my body to rest, to eat regularly and healthy-ly, to excercise. I feel oppressed by these basic requirements; locked in and limited.
Is it human nature to resist these confinements of our being?
It is certainly my nature to resist limits. I hear statements often of “Be all you can be.” and “Work harder, faster, longer.” Those messages sink in deeper than I would like to admit to shape the expectations that I have of myself and my performace. And so the second half of the quote above calls to me…”respect for how I have been created.”
The rhythm of my life must show respect for how I have been created. I have been created to require sleep, food, and movement. I have been created to require relationship and community. I have been created to require silence, solitude, and prayer.
I have been created; I am not the Creator.
“It is my conviction that our Heavenly Father says the same to us everyday: “My dear child, you must always remember who you are.” –John Stott
