My path

A couple years ago, friends at our church gave me a book by Chet Raymo titled "The Path." I enjoy Raymo's approach to looking at the universe. This book is about his spirituality along the footpath from his house to his work.

Today at Church our minister and a dear friend shared the pulpit to speak of their paths to inner peace. One word my friend used struck a chord with me. That word is responsibility or "response-ability." We do have the ability to be in charge of our responses to others and the world around us. "Response-ability."

The minister shared a message about creating a beautiful quilt out of the many scraps life sometimes hands us. How do we make that quilt, travel that path, and be more in touch with the intimate (to learn how to communicate from the heart) and the ultimate (to touch that which is bigger than ourselves)? The answer is simple: with practice. Some practices are meditation, prayer, cooking, gardening, and there are many more.

That led me to think of my practices, how I'm responsible for traveling down the path to spiritual growth (intimacy and ultimacy.) Riding the motorcycle, painting the house, teaching, these to me are almost Zen-like activities. During these activities, I go into a different state of mind, (most of the time) to focus on doing that activity well and not getting distracted by the worries and burdens of everyday life.

I feel these practices have been somewhat successful in helping me sometimes achieve inner peace. I've rarely given them much thought, so now I am aware of them and their possible meaning for me spiritually. I wonder if knowing them in this way, being a little more observant about their place in my life, will change their effect?