Friday, December 9, 2011

Practicing Mindfulness: Day Two

The LORD has been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.   
                                                   Psalm 115:12 NASB

I “happened” upon this verse this afternoon.  I think this mindfulness journey is like buying a new red car.  I might start seeing it everywhere. 

Practicing this new habit is already opening my eyes:

Lesson One:
I discovered that I speed.  Very sad fact, but true.  Right after I finished my blog entry yesterday, I headed to join a friend for lunch.  Hurrying to not be late, I saw that I was almost 10 miles an hour over the limit.  That surprised me.  I slowed down and even set the cruise control for a cool 45 mph, the posted limit.  That gave me time to think and I felt a peace replace the hurry.  Driving the speed limit frees me on many levels:
1.   I feel safer.
2.   I have no fear of a ticket.
3.   I have space to enjoy the drive.

Lesson Two:
As my friend and I settled into our delicious lunch, I took a moment to savor the beauty of the salad, with its combination of green lettuces, scarlet strawberries and creamy goat cheese. Toasted pecans and tangy dressing made it a delight to the tongue. The gift of this moment of mindfulness was a true gratitude for the abundance of food that the Lord has provided.

Lesson Three:
Friends are priceless.  The gift of someone who knows your heart and loves you anyway, who brainstorms with you on what you want to be when you grow up, who shares coffee with you just so you both can stay together and talk a little bit longer…this was the gift I received yesterday.

What has mindfulness given me already?  Peace and joy and a growing-in-gratefulness heart.

Come join me on the journey. I would love to hear your story.

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