The restaurant came highly recommended by a friend. With a location link and “must try” suggestion, without hesitation, we had landed up in the unknown, curious, and hungry. What initially took me off guard, unfolded as a place with a fun vibe and great food.
Last night, I caught myself focusing on the table centrepiece. I imagine a table showpiece as a welcoming celebration that brings everyone together. Flowers, bright and cheerful. Sometimes it is a showcase dish. Perhaps an object that captures the host’s soul-warming embrace. Last night it was cactus. Thriving, prickly and sharp, and dominating cactus. My mind and life’s whispers moved into overdrive.
The language of intent is retold by results and reality. Whatever I think I am doing, the truth is revealed in the impact on those around me. Ignorance does not break my bonds of responsibility. Through my words and actions, I reveal values and priorities. I tell my true story, to others and more importantly to myself. In each moment is an opportunity to understand and, with freedom, align my heart’s intent with the intended results.
Good ideas do not always stay that way. I wonder what the designer was thinking. One could see the centrepiece in a positive, conversation-creating kind of way, or see it as a barrier. The lesson reminder for me was to stay current. Evaluate the present with open items, letting the truth reveal itself. Otherwise, Paul’s question metaphorically replays itself; “Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me. Without all the paraphernalia of the law code, sin looked pretty dull and lifeless.” (Romans 7.8)I love the food and vibe last night. The experience and lesson reminders take me to today’s challenge; may kindness, care, and community always be my centrepiece.
