But what I am is worn out. Let me explain:
Yesterday during an afternoon meeting my iPhone began to vibrate on the desk next to me. Not recognizing the number, I sent the call to voicemail immediately (truth be told, since I was with people, I wouldn't have answered anyway). As I finished the meeting and prepared to head home, I checked my voicemail to see if the call was important or if my extended warranty ran out again.
Emily, from my Physical Therapy office, called wanting to move my appointment up a day. She wanted me to come on consecutive days to rehab because of a scheduling conflict.
Doing PT on consecutive days didn't bother me in principle. . . well it sorta didn't bother me.
I asked if my therapist was okay with this switch. I was told that she was, so the appointment was changed. This change would also give me more time with JonMark before he heads home early Saturday morning. (Perhaps Southwest will cancel all flights to Pittsburgh from now on and he will have to stay, but I doubt that sadly).
So shortly before 8:30 I walked into the PT gym and began to stretch, to lift, and to improve my range of motion while grunting a little. This was hard work. . . It was hard because I am still healing from the full knee replacement that brought me to PT. It was hard because I just did most of these exercises less that 16 hours ago. But it was also hard because I sneak an extra rep or two into every exercise. Nothing excessive, I just want to do well.
Now as the afternoon is upon me. I am sore. Happy, but sore. My mind is sharp but the aching in my knee is asking me to wonder if I need to grab a pair of Advil.
Yet like you might do, I press on because that is what I have been taught to do. Press on toward the goal, right? Isn't that what Paul tells us! Do not give up. Keep at it. But I wonder if life is offering me the chance today to do something different?
I wonder if life is standing before me and saying with a smile, today I want you to rest. Today I am giving you the gift of some much needed peace and stillness. Will you take it, Derek? Would you take it, reader? Katherine May, whose book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, continues to speak to my heart months after I finished it, this book sits on my shelf and quietly asks if I, or you, might find the gift of rest being offered by life? And wonder: Will we accept it?
I am not wondering with you about being lazy. . . instead could life be offering you a chance to enter a liminal space and dwell there for a moment or two? I wonder if that is a gift from God today that is meant to help?
Blessings
Rev. Derek
Now I am going home to rest. . .
No comments:
Post a Comment