Simplicity
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 9:08 AM 
“Simplicity is the seedbed for sane, free, illumined holy living.” Tilden Edwards
In the stillness I return to God. The busyness of the last five days settles into my body like a workout followed by Savasana . They say it is in corpse pose that the benefits of the practice come. Returning to stillness, I am regenerated. Listening to my body, I know it needs rest today. Will I pull out of the quiet and press forward or can I rest here in the simplicity of my bed – rejuvenating?
I ponder the complexity of my simple existence. Eating when hungry. Stopping when full. Resting when tired. Moving when restless. Going when called. The practices of my life. Focusing on here and now. The garbage truck rumbling outside my window. Aslan purring against my chest. Pen flowing across paper. My heart beats inside my chest. Coffee flavors the walls of my mouth.
Here and now is all I have. This perfect, simple moment is enough. My stomach growls. The kitty hiccups. My head has a slight twinge of ache. I pause - slowing down to the minuscule of the moment. Operating at the speed of breath. Entering into holy living.
Care to join me?
photo from Bainbridge Ferry 7.15.10
Reader Comments (11)
Kayce!! Lovely post! Yes, I will join you!! Was walking our female Great Pyrenees Female yesterday at 5 am and a black ferrel cat decided to jump into her field of vision! Result: space ride into large brick wall and shrubbery and a nondisplaced subcapital left femur fracture! Can you believe it! Orthopod recommends pinning and 3 months off work and minimal physical activity! Trying to wrap my mind around "Be still"! Any suggestions and titles of books you recommend would be greatly appreciated!!!! :)
PS, Love Pamela!
oh pam!!!! the words that keep going through my mind are LET GO!!! (thinking of the leash here with all sorts of images surfacing.) question is: will you listen to the dr's orders?
re: books - i've only gotten through the first page, first line really of the tilden edwards book quoted here, but think it might be a good one. also, check out my reading list. if you haven't read "the art of pilgrimage" i highly recommend it too!!! i'm in the midst of the "girl with the dragon tattoo" series and enjoy it for some intrigue and escapism. "the help" was another favorite fiction that hit very close to home.
keep me posted on your recovery. what a blip in life, huh? xoxooxoxo
My life is complex. I have four children and four jobs. For me, simplicity has to be an essence I can connect with in the midst of all that. Which primarily means being completely focused on the thing right in front of me. As you say, the here and now.
Lucy - I have to groan at Pam's comment to you - what a trip!! So sorry, Pamela:(
and to our Pal Polli - here and now is probably enough for you to focus on - 4 kids, 4 jobs, yikes, I love being retired.
And Lucy, I know it's not my responsibility to reply to your readers but they both spoke volumes to me. AS DID YOUR POST! You probably read somewhere yesterday that I took a day of rest from the madness of exercise that I enjoy so much. It was a good thing. I listened to my body again today and it said, "Eat, you're not eating enough for all of the exercise"....know what it was right!
Hv loved your adventures with S!
xoxo
ah the simple life
discovering what 'one thing' we are to focus on for 'this moment'
Entering into holy living
Yes, each day.
Thank you.
Adding my chorus of Oh No to Pamela's mishap!
You know, there's still part of me (which part, I wonder!!) that strongly resists this listening to my body. Don't wanna! Wah! Why can't my body just shut up and let me beat it into submission so I can get more done?? Yes of course I know in my head that the 'perfect simple moment is enough'. But sometimes, for me... it isn't.
End of grouch! xx
polli - i just had this wonderful vision of assigning one child to each job and then you could have free time for simplicity... just a thought :-) in the meantime, staying present to what's right in front of you sounds perfect!!!
SS-- thx for chiming in. glad you're listening to that body. they really do have volumes to say. i found i needed a bit more fuel for my seattle adventures. i also found pacing my dining habits with a 14 year old boy was pretty comical at times - as you might imagine. xoxoxo
kel - love that 'one thing one moment'. heavenly!!!
claire - you are most welcome! nice to see you here.
tess - oh dear, tess, i may have a post brewing up just for you :-) glad you grouched here - i hope it helped... be kind to that body - it's the only one you have! xoxo
O dear, my comment got lost somehow. I wanted to say how much I loved this post, how it kind of reflects my days in retirement. I am grateful you put such a positive spin on it. I am often tempted to be self-critical over the same kind of experience. I think you have it right, lucy.
barbara - i think it can be a huge shift to go from having our days totally planned and filled around work and then plunge into retirement. i'm sitting in this very odd space of feeling somewhat retired while still having a fruitful and productive "work" life. finding space for presence no matter what seems to be the key, methinks :-)