A WAY OF PRACTICE NOT A DEMONSTRATION OF PERFECTION

“Slow down, you move too fast. You’ve got to make the morning last, just kicking down the cobble stone. Looking for fun and feeling groovy.”  This song, one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkle songs, popped into my head this morning.

My life has certainly slowed down, as far as activity.  But my mind goes into hyper mode more than I would like it to, especially when I read.  A friend lent me a little book she thought I would like to read.  She told me she used it as a morning devotional this winter, reading one meditation per day.  I picked it up this morning and loved the first meditation and “Bang”…I am off to races and out of the starting gate.  I was on my way to devouring this book in one sitting…but then I stopped.  I have been intentionally trying to savor what I read, rather that devour it, reading from the beginning to the end in one sitting.  I justify myself by saying this is an overview reading and I will reread it slowly the second time; there is rarely a second time.

This reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend one time.  We had discovered than M&Ms were our favorite candy.  She told me she had disciplined herself to buy an individual pack of M&Ms and eat one M&M per hour.  That way the bag lasted the whole day.  I remember looking at her like she was nuts.  I never put less than five M&Ms in my mouth at a time and the bag is devoured in 15 minutes or less.  Sweet but short was my experience; luscious and lasting was her experience.  I tried her way and found it lovely to extend that experience out over time.  I can’t say I always do that, but I do try because I know the benefits.

This is the same idea behind using lectio divina as a spiritual reading practice…luscious and lasting, as those words go down into my soul and give me delight in my soul.  I have intentionally been using this practice for many years in my morning devotional time; but sometimes I forget to use it in the rest of my reading, or in my studying.  I constantly have to remind my self to slow down and be patient in all that I do.  It makes me grateful that the Christian life I have chosen is a Way of Practice and not a demonstration of perfection.