March 14, 2010
If you are African American (and maybe if your roots lead to anywhere else on the globe; I just wasn’t at your house to hear it) you are familiar with this phrase. It was usually uttered when you were “underfoot.” That means you, as a child, were somewhere an adult didn’t want you to be; usually somewhere moving around them. To break it down even further; you were in the way.
I’ve missed 2 Fridays (my self-imposed deadline) of sharing with you via “On My Heart.” Yes, I know I mentioned I’m working on my novel and might be a little late from time to time…and that’s still true, but the reason I’ve missed 2 Fridays is because I’ve been MOVING. For the last couple of weeks, as soon as my eyes open, I’m on the move. I’ve been skipping (an action word in which you move quickly from one place to another) my morning quiet/prayer/meditation time. I’ve allowed my To Do list to run into my 20 minutes of daily sitting meditation (where I sit in a quiet space, completely still focusing only on my breath.) My schedule has been relentless and usually my first moment of stillness has come when I fall into the bed at night; sleep before my eyes even close.
Yeah, there’s been a good reason (NO EXCUSE FOR NOT TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF) for all this activity: my husband had shoulder surgery a couple of weeks ago and has his arm in a sling, which means I’m doing things he usually does while supporting his recovery. I’ve been conducting workshops in cities that require me to travel by plane (THANK YOU, LORD!) while sticking to a daily writing schedule, doing some editing for a couple of friends, reading and preparing for several upcoming workshops (AGAIN, THANK YOU, LORD.)
Yesterday I decided that today I would “get somewhere and be still.” I hadn’t planned to make an offering to “On My Heart” but it came flowing out as I woke up. Just the intention of being still made room for this entry to come forth.
This made me wonder, what else has been blocked the last couple of weeks, while I’ve been “underfoot?” What was in the stillness waiting for me while I was in my own way?
If you’ve found your “To Do” list increasing while your quiet time and moments of stillness are decreasing – by the way, this is always the formula. You cannot “do” and “be” at the same time – then do what I’m doing today: GET SOMEWHERE AND BE STILL.
On My Heart 