BALANCE

The Gospel reading for yesterday was the passage of Jesus' visit to the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in Bethany. We heard about Martha's busyness in preparing the meal and how Jesus told her she is "anxious about many things." We also heard how Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teaching. Which one can you identify with?

In his homily yesterday our chaplain for our Community Living Center preached about balance. During the day, I picked up the book, "Gift From the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. I had read this book many years ago and thought I would see what it may have for me to reflect on now. She describes what a woman's life is like with distractions always present. She wrote, "For to be a woman is to have interests and duties, raying out in all directions from the central mother-core, like spokes from the hub of a wheel. The pattern of our lives is essentially circular. We must be open to all points of the compass; husband, children, friends, home, community; stretched out, exposed, sensitive like a spider's web to each breeze that blows, to each call that comes. How difficult for us, then, to achieve a balance in the midst of these contradictory tensions, and yet how necessary for the proper functioning of our lives."

I find this to be an excellent description of how many of our lives look. We are pulled in many directions. I especially like the image of the hub and spokes of a wheel. It might be interesting to take some time to draw this image and name the spokes of our busyness.

The author continues to talk about getting rid of distractions and what different kinds of seashells teach her throughout the book. Although published in 1955, I think it has a lot of wisdom for us today. As I continue to read and pray with this book, I hope I will be able to share with you more thoughts and reflections.