SHORTCOMINGS

PRACTICE: Take a cleansing walk. Pay attention to reoccurring thoughts. What is the deeper meaning?

We had our daily cup of coffee, attended virtual church and decided to finish the February challenge (28 minutes of aerobic exercise for 28 days) we had entered with our neighbors by going for a brisk walk. It was 9am and seventy degrees. Rain was forecasted for later in the day so why not get it done.

The temperature had barely broken 50 degrees the prior Sunday. The Sunday before that snow and ice had descended on the town forcing us to be homebound for almost a week.

As we walked, I spied a patch of hardened snow in a neighbor’s yard. I was surprised because the weather that week included several warm and beautiful days with no freezing temperatures at night and the last two days had been very rainy. I had walked outside every day. How could this small enclave of snow have survived those conditions?

Having just walked by an open field where birds were in full song and my face had been caressed by a gentle breeze, nature had arrested my attention. I saw the snow just after I reminded myself to be mindful of the sensation of cool air entering my lungs and the warmed air leaving as I exhaled. I was ripe for a teachable moment.

The lesson of the hardened snow took shape as I walk. What could it mean on a deeper level? “Oh, I thought, it represents my propensity to concentrate on the shortcomings of myself and others.” No matter how many storms I have survived, or successes celebrated, I somehow manage to minimize them by pointing out the place where my expectations were not met, or I could have/should have done this or that. Minimizing success and maximizing shortcomings is the hardened snow that hangs on even when all else is fine.

It seemed to me as I continued to ruminate on the compacted snow, that the snowstorm had erected a shrine to itself and sunny days with great temperatures for February were not going to take it down. That was a lie. Eventually the environment was going to destroy the small shrine. My shrine to shortcomings needs to meet the same fate. Having named it and by sharing with you, I have exposed it to the environment. I don’t expect this journey of self- correction to be easy, but the shrine must go. Concentrating on my and others' shortcomings robs me of the joy of the fullness of what is good.

Matt. 7:3

PONDER THIS THOUGHT---"Train your mind to see something good in everything." ~Buddhist proverb.