Rhythm

I'm not known to have a lot of rhythm. This is why I kind of avoid dancing, and clapping for that matter. Do you know how much harder it is to clap on the off-beat than it is to clap on the beat? I can pretty much pull off clapping on the beat, and sometimes a song gets both on and off going, but when the clapping is on the off-beat, I am hopeless and I don't even start. So with dancing, I think I could put together a bit of a waltz, but being married to a woman who has good rhythm and who grew up dancing, it's a bit of a stretch to call my part in the activity dancing. With our daughter getting married one year ago (yesterday was their anniversary), I managed to avoid the dance floor. I'm not so sure if I will be so lucky with our son's wedding this August!

There's another kind of rhythm. It is the rhythm of our lives. To have a good rhythm, there are some important pieces that need their regular attention. The ones that I consider important include: prayer, listening to God, Scripture reading/study, family time, couple time, personal time, work time, rest, Sabbath rest, fitness and play. Did I miss anything? I find that when all of these receive their appropriate attention, my life has rhythm. I also find that the balance of these can easily get out of rhythm. The way I maintain peace of mind is to look at this rhythm from the perspective of the big picture. This way, when one or two of these components get out of whack, I can slowly and gently, and with God's help, ease the rhythm back to where it should be. If I would get uptight every time something went a little off, I wouldn't have much peace of mind.

Let me just give a brief example of the practical items that fit these categories. Generally Sunday noon to Monday noon is my Sabbath rest. I pick up on a couple of the important items during this time. Sunday afternoon and evening are often a combination of personal, couple or family time. Monday morning includes fitness (early morning hockey), then my devotional time (prayer, Scripture and listening to God).

I do have a rhythm of daily devotions, but sometimes these get squeezed out by other things. I consider my Sabbath on Monday mornings to be a very important time of getting the clock ticking right again.

For fitness, I have the blessing of early morning hockey 3 times a week all year round (absolutely free), plus a league team that I play on during the season. When this rhythm gets out of whack (like today), I try to fit in a good roller blade run around my town - Ladner.

Work - I probably do too much of that. But, I enjoy a flexible schedule, so my personal and work life gets a bit intertwined throughout the week, but I pay attention to finding the right balance of both in the grand rhythm of it all.

Play is playing hockey or watching it - as well as watching a host of other sports; also riding motorcycle. Diane and I still maintain a date a month which can include lots of options for things to do. Personal time includes reading and working around the house and yard, as well as trying to get away to Camp Squeah for a personal or couple retreat once a year.

I look forward to any of your thoughts.