This is my 100th blog post, and I’m nearing my one year mark (10/13/2013) of this nearly nightly practice. I have 84 pages and I may just hit 50,000 words, if I write enough of them tonight. There have been nearly 2000 page views on the blog, too. Thank you for joining me on this journey! I hope you have felt nourished, as this practice has nourished my own journey.
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We needed to turn the air conditioner back on the other
day. Today, the air was so thick that
there was a bit of a haze when we looked out the windows. It was humid enough to make breathing
difficult. Now that the full moon is in
the darkened sky it is a bit more comfortable to spend some time outside.
Jeff and I try to walk as often as our schedules allow. It’s a great way to have a business meeting
or talk about what’s going on in our individual lives, make plans or just “be”
together. We value that time because we
can leave behind the tasks that separate us in our home. Our business is worked out of the house, so
though we are often home together, our responsibilities separate us throughout
the day. Having the office in the home
also means it is much easier to work longer hours and take on more volunteer
projects. A long day in the office may
mean that Jeff is sitting at his desk from 8:30 a.m. until midnight doing
work-work and volunteer-work or house-work.
I sometimes have a problem with that schedule. Jeff does too, especially when he cannot put
a “closed” sign in the window and stop thinking about work. His sleep schedule suffers because he cannot
easily flip a switch and turn off his work.
He does get out and run a few times a week to keep his body in motion
and to try to deal with the stress of running his own business. And the walks we take give us a “phone free”
zone to keep our relationship on track.
And once my classes begin in a few weeks, my schedule will be filled
with hours in front of the computer or my nose in a book; and those walks will
be even more important to stay connected.
We don’t have it figured out all the time, and we can tell
when we haven’t been making time for one another. Our relationship requires that time, that
conversation, that intimacy to continue to grow and be the relationship we
believe has been ordained by God.
Dear God, it is hard to find time to be in relationships,
but we know that to be in relationship with others, we must spend time with one
another. This is true of marriages,
friendships, and families. The greatest
gift we have to give another is our time.
It is comforting to know that you, O God, are always present and ready to
engage in conversation or to spend time with us. All we have to do is breathe in and out and
feel your presence. You are our forever
friend. Amen.