To say that we live in a confusing world is, for many, a blinding statement of the obvious.
We are inundated by data and information. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, email, web news, text messaging, and old fashion phone calls are the beginnings of the tidal wave that overwhelms.
We are consumed by the need to get to the next destination. The presence of 12 lane freeways is accepted as a requirement to support the community. Goals, day planners, and PDAs with calendars are common aids to keep us focused. We are competitors consumed by the competition.
We are overwhelmed by the immediate. Bills, demands by others, and holiday schedules lurk in the corner of our minds. Even in our quietness, our minds are buzzing. Rest is a friend we distantly remember. Rationale commitments to work, community, and family turn into demanding demons. Even when we try to take time out, we find ourselves challenged by calls from our commitments.
Occasionally I meet someone who has been able to take a break. In their actions, I am reminded of two constants.
They acknowledge that they were overwhelmed. They did not let this stop them. They choose a course of action. A writer notes how “it was impossible to tell one word from another in the mob hysteria, so the captain ordered Paul taken to the military barracks.” (Acts 21.34) It is an observation I would do well to remember.
They choose to let the quiet moments infuse their inner self. One friend recently commented that the air around her was “unnoticeable”. They had forgotten how that felt. In their reminder, I rediscovered the awareness of simply being.
Life will continue pushing you and me beyond our limits. It is the nature of life to be this way. How you and I respond to this push is within our control. You and I are gifted with freedom. Life may demand, push, and punish us, trying to pull us in one direction or another. In today’s uncertainty, we have the opportunity to make a difference to others and for ourselves.
