For Lent this year, my son's Sunday school teacher has him on a "SecretAgentSpyMission" to do kind things for others and acts of thanksgiving. When I caught him sweeping up his graham cracker crumbs after his snack (without being asked), he said it was his mission for the day. This morning's mission apparently was not to "get sent off line" at school. Apparently his Sunday school teacher is onto something.
I have my own mission this Lenten season - being
present. I suppose this means turning off the car radio while I drive,
listening to my kids without making a to-do-list in my head, eating while
sitting in a chair (preferably at a table), breathing to hear myself breathe,
and praying. Since I always need a way to focus on the last one, I'm turning to
Ignatius - by way of Tim Muldoon's The Ignatian
Workout for Lent.
Each day's exercise has a scripture reading with reflection,
and suggestions for prayer and action. This sentence felt relevant today: "Our faith is that God knows us better
than we know ourselves, because we can only see what happens moment to moment." Perhaps it was because my mind was already
mulling these other words I played for my students' exam today:
"Again, you can't connect the dots
looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect
in your future. You have to trust
in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever."
I guess
for me, the whatever category is God. Most days, if I'm present.
