My fitness band actively tracks my heart rate, its variability, and lots of nuances I do not fully understand. I have grown to appreciate it brutal candor. Strain is strain, no matter what the source. Recovery is directly linked to sleep, hydration, and stress. The dials and stats on my phone and notebook reflect my reality, no matter how much I want to spin a different story to myself. As I note and reflect on the different ways my heart is elevated, I find myself more aware of my options, choices, and the journey I have chosen to take.
I know there are those who do not want to know. Less information simplifies the day and often reduces the options one can see in the moment. The old cliché plays out, even in a time of bliss – what we do not know can hurt us!
As I walked with pace to a meeting scheduled nearby, there was a temporary big hump of steel in the walkway protecting a large water house. Absent-mindedly, I did not take time to measure my step. It was only a small trip, yet I could see the record showing how my heart rate elevated to compensate in the moment.
I naturally looked to see who or what was at fault. I thought of the promise of old; Divinity “won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.” (Psalm 121.3). As much as I wanted to blame others, the brightly painted sign with an illustration of an individual stumbling, the reflective yellow paint on the big hump, and even the gentle slant of the hump on both sides suggested my community and God had done all they could to warn me and protect me from myself!
Candidly, my stumble was and is totally my responsibility. I acted even as multiple warnings called out to me. If anyone was at fault, it was me and me alone.
I can hear lingering layers of conversations and memories with wisdom from individuals and events in my life. Divinity and Life are always working.
