Cycles

How does one break a cycle?  Habits, stubbornness, and resolve form part of the challenge, yet I find it’s more than just this.  We are holding onto something; yesterday, fear, or pride.  “It” ties and binds us firmly in the present, preventing a change which opens new opportunities.
 
You can see it in the eyes of the people you meet, especially walking the City.  Eyes fixed and engaged, yet glazed and focused in a way which allows only a portion of the possibilities to get through and in.  Behaviors repeat the same cycle over and over again, seemingly unchangeable by those dedicated and obsessed with change.  Even patterns of speech, appearances, and manners of expression are locked into a specific moment in time.  It is hard to imagine yet the evidence is there for anyone to examine and use as fodder for reflection.
 
I wish I could say I was different.  Already, even as I explore new areas, venues, and options, I find myself returning to haunts I enjoy.  There isn’t anything particularly wrong with this however as Whitney and I discovered over lunch yesterday, there are many new dishes and ideas yet to explore.  Some are quickly discarded, yet others become instantly embedded in the pattern I’m sure we will return to in the future.  The new favorites and old blend together in a seamless pattern which will be repeated for years to come.
 
Yet for all the optimism there is stuff, junk really, that needs to be quickly examined and tossed.  Why I continue I have no idea!  Perhaps I have gotten lazy, comfortable with yesterday, content with the present.  There is a blunt command Divinity gave yesterday which applies to today – “Quit your worship charades.  I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more!” (Isaiah 1.13)
 
In my head the rest of the message is clear; rediscover what is truly of value.  Find the applications for compassion, mercy, and acceptance.  In the process discover real living.  Don’t wait, start now.