BALANCE

Life is a journey, and what is one of the worst things, and at times the most exciting is we do not always know where we are going.Not knowing where we are going can be fun because we will get a surprise and in our planned trips with loved ones its usually a pleasant one.

The notion of life as a journey is not just a metaphor it’s real, and just now in the depth of this health crisis the journey is horrendous because we are dealing with the unknown and we are creatures of habit and ritual.It seems to me that, for now, life has to managed gently with loving concern for one another.I get annoyed sometimes at people’s attitude about partying unsafely at Christmas but when I have reflected on this I have remembered that Christmas contains many things, not just the love joy and peace which Jesus came to bring.It is also about endings which can be deeply unbearable and sometimes we don’t know whats wrong with us we may even get very angry and not always know why.

More than ever we need balance, to feel ‘centred’ ‘grounded’ try this simple exercise to get you going on this aspect of your journey:

Who am I?

Where am I going?

What do I need to get there?

One thing we all need is ‘balance’ to allow ourselves to not get caught in ‘black and white’ but to stop and look for the balance in our thinking and doing. Imagine your mind is an island for contemplation at its centre it is green and lush and it it surrounded by rough and turbulent seas which contain may thoughts feelings and difficulties.Centre yourself quietly on the green grass this is a safe place to focus and balance, concentrate on your breathing follow its path throughout your body and it will highlight troublesome and painful areas in your body, stop as you find them breathe into them and allow healing to come. When God made us he breathed into our bodies the breathe of life and we became living souls our breath is our life so let us use it to balance ourselves, to cope with fears loneliness and even desperation.

If this reflection has made you calmer imagine you are going for a walk on the beautiful green earth observe all your surroundings,taste the smell hear the sounds see new things sense you are not alone , and you are not for God in Christ is with you.

I sense there are many wounded and hurting people this year end I reach out to you may you sense God is holding you.