Instead of a list of resolutions for the year I picked just one word. One simple word to define what I want to focus on for the year. I tried to do it last year, but I got so hung up on trying to find a lovely word that I never picked one. Well, this year I took the one that I needed, lovely or not. The word is ORDER, plain old order.
Last year when I tried out my words on Harold he would smile politely, but I could tell he wondered what I was thinking. This year when I said I would focus on order he immediately said, “Oh, that is a good word.” Poor man! He must long for more order around here. Hopefully this year I can bring a little more of that home for him.
I’ve thought a lot about this simple word the last couple weeks. I have great hopes that as ordinary as it is that “order” will hold treasure I never imagined. Who knows once I get to know order I may discover that it is the loveliest of words.
I definitely want more order in my surroundings, but the order I’ve been thinking mostly about is the order of my priorities. How I spend my time. What portion of my life I give to the things I do. I don’t want to continue to let unimportant things crowd out the truly important things in my life.
What is hardest about focusing on the important things is that they are often invisible. They are things that have to do with the heart: love, laughter, listening, being present, understanding. It is in nurturing those important relationships with God, those we love and ourselves. It is so much easier to attend to the visible, but easier isn’t necessarily better.
This is the part of order that fascinates me right now. I find that I am using spiritual and mental muscles that I have left alone for too long. I sometimes feel frustrated when the tasks that I want to do take a back seat to the things I really need to do. I don’t feel quite as productive and the physical order is going slowly. However, I know the invisible ties I am making to the hearts of those who matter most to me are vitally important. I can’t neglect them for things that will just come undone anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment