Sunday, May 23, 2010

Maintaining the edge

Everybody loves a good stretch. Especially when it comes after a hard day of work or after a full night's sleep (those still happen for people, right? I've heard rumors...)

Sometimes stretching can be painful, especially when its one's soul that's being stretched. It can become very easy to complain about all the hammering about and remodeling going on. This year has definitely been a huge remodeling project and it ain't even half over.

I muse about this now because it has become clear that by nature I'm spiritually quite lazy. At the slightest hint of ease or improvement in my personal circumstances, I seem to immediately begin drifting from the path I fought so hard both to get to and to stay on during more difficult days.

The simple (but not easy) basic principles can be so very easy to neglect. Stephen Covey talks about the "important but not urgent" Quadrant 2 tasks in life and how they can be quickly set aside for lesser but more "urgent" things. The daily work of keeping my edge is just that, work. If I am slothful (and I certainly am slothful) then the edge I need is dulled and I am much less useful to myself and to others. The cutting but dead-on question asked in scripture is so apt: "Can ye feel so now?"

Sometimes, yes. Far too often, not so much.

2 comments:

  1. I struggle with this every day- as you know. Distraction is one of Satan's favorite tools. Focus on the essential is what I need to do (not a quote from Yoda though)

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