“The Christian life . . . is a continual discovery of Christ in new and unexpected places” – Thomas Merton (“Sign of Jonah”).

Life was on a sunny track until a few months ago, with cloudless skies and an unobstructed view of the future.

Or so I thought.

Now I’m attempting to live intentionally, a benefit of knowing I don’t have forever to dilly dally.

Sometimes, surprises come. The dog was barking like wild. There was a fellow I didn’t immediately recognize, standing on our porch at dusk, smiling. It was Doug; I taught his vacation Bible school class when he was 12, he’s now the grandfather of nine. When did we all grow older?

“I came to pray for Jan,” he said, adding he felt the Spirit nudge him three times that evening to stop by. Rather than shrug it off, he listened. It’s humbling to have someone tune into the Spirit on my behalf like that.

After small talk, Doug lifted me before our Father. We sat on the sofa and held hands as he prayed; our 70-pound golden doodle –my self-assigned protector-– put his furry paw in my other hand. I imagine the angels smiled at that.

I didn’t say it, but I tried to hear the Spirit as I pondered what to write about this week. All I heard was static.

Then, Tuesday afternoon, I came across something about mindfulness I wrote last June. It caught my attention; that very morning I received an unexpected invitation to attend a retreat focused on mindfulness.

Coincidence, or a holy nudge?

A description of the retreat says: “We often go through our days on ‘autopilot,’ rushing from one task to another without any awareness. In this presentation, we examine the research of Ellen Langer, Harvard psychology professor whose research since the 1970’s shows that mindful thought can lead to better brain and physical health.”

Definitely sounds like I need to be there.

In “Anti Cancer: A New Way of Life,” author David Servan-Schreiber says research shows living attentively changes how our brains work. Mindfulness combined with controlled breathing slows down hurried mental ramblings, contributing to better overall health.

Being mindful means living in the moment without dragging dusty baggage along. It helps me notice what’s happening around me without judging others or myself, detached from the need to form opinions about everything. That’s harder than it sounds! Will a retreat help me move from mindlessness to mindfulness? We’ll see.

What I gleaned from my initial practice of mindfulness a decade ago is that we all breathe the same air. We’re all created by the same God. There is a spark of His reflection in all of us, making everyone alive worthy of dignity and respect.

Romans 15:7 says, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” If I treat people the way Jesus did, I can’t go wrong.

Twentieth century Franciscan monk Thomas Merton learned to value others one afternoon, standing on a busy city intersection. He wrote:

“I was suddenly overwhelmed with love for all those people, that they were mine and I was theirs, we could not be alien although total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness. The whole illusion of a separate holy existence is an illusion… Such a commonplace realization should seem like news that one holds the winning ticket in a cosmic sweepstakes. If only they could all see themselves as they really are.” (Condensed from “Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander.”)

Despite our brokenness, Merton said it’s our glorious destiny to be human and to know, “At the center of our being is a point untouched by sin and by illusions, a little point that is the pure glory of God in everybody. It is His name written in all of us. The gate of heaven is everywhere.” (Condensed.)

I worked for Marilyn Dilg when she directed CareNet, an Indiana County ministry to senior adults. Marilyn, who is now face to face with Jesus, saw Christ in everyone and loved people with an openness I envied. That’s how she treated me and everyone who walked through our door. She messaged me after I shared Merton’s comments:

Marilyn: “I have thought this way for many, many years.”

Me: “And you helped me think this way too, Marilyn.”

Marilyn: “Thank you for saying that!”

Philippians 2 says have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. That’s a powerful statement; Oh Lord, help me replace worn out attitudes with life-giving ones!

Jesus practiced mindfulness better than anyone. Periods of solitary silence with His Father equipped Him to totally center on the people He was with, offering acceptance and love to those who never felt worthy of anything but crumbs until they encountered His grace.

He offers the same to you and to me.

All will be well.

Texting Thru Recovery/Indiana Gazette 6.22.19