Once I had the nerve to sit on a stool behind my harp and play a song with the sharps and flats out of sync. I rushed through the first lines as I watched out of the corner of my eye, the audience wince.
Sound is unbearable when it's out of tune.
So is life.
If it's a harp, the pedals (flats and sharps) are levered back to neutral or pushed down or adjusted upward. It's a simple fix. Before the harp is played, it must be re-tuned. For an accomplished harpist this can be done by ear. If it's a beginner, an electronic tuning device bring the strings back on course.
If tuning a person, the process is a little more complex.
Some of my tuning habits:
*a beachwalk
*a walk anywhere
*the company of good friends
*confiding in a trusted friend
*a nourishing meal eaten slowly
*making biscuits
*yoga
*an intentional escape,
which includes
~~ leaving the room,
~~separating oneself from the person causing discord
~~separating oneself from the thing of discord
~~immersion in a good book
~~forgetting myself and intentionally seeking out someone who needs help
Then there is fine tuning that can only happen through the atonement of Jesus Christ. How do we access the atonement?
I like to imagine myself walking along a trail carrying two heavy baskets of fruit, one in each arm. The first few minutes of the journey, I'm doing well, but then the burden becomes too much. Sometimes fruit trees line the road and it's tempting to add plums or grapefruits, and so I do, increasing the weight of my burden.
Up ahead, I see a man walking with empty arms. He turns to me and smiles. I could ask for help, but I still think I can make it on my own. He turns around again and smiles. I smile back. He slows his pace allowing me to catch up. At this point, when he opens his arms, I happily give him both baskets. He takes them with surety.
But in real life, there is no trail, no heavy metaphorical baskets, no man who turns and beckons.
The only way to get relief, to fine tune a life, is to ask. In sacred prayer.
This doesn't mean having to find a church or dedicate the morning to silence, folded arms, and bended knees.
Recently, two different people invaded my mind by their actions. I couldn't and can't change either person; I couldn't and can't resolve the problem--and unfortunately I can't rid myself of either one. They are both connected by ties I cannot sever. I was consumed by their presence in my head.
It was time to ask the man with the gentle smile for help.
I started asking. Most often the asking would come when the person randomly entered my thoughts. The only relief was asking for relief in my own head. I silently whispered many prayers. I didn't stop and kneel in prayer, I just asked while I was about my business.
My prayers were answered. Are answered, because it's a continuing request. The requests have diminished but still I need help. I can't explain how it works, only that it does work.
This week, a former student sent these words,
Be free. Be tuned.
Sound is unbearable when it's out of tune.
So is life.
If it's a harp, the pedals (flats and sharps) are levered back to neutral or pushed down or adjusted upward. It's a simple fix. Before the harp is played, it must be re-tuned. For an accomplished harpist this can be done by ear. If it's a beginner, an electronic tuning device bring the strings back on course.
If tuning a person, the process is a little more complex.
Some of my tuning habits:
*a beachwalk
*a walk anywhere
*the company of good friends
*confiding in a trusted friend
*a nourishing meal eaten slowly
*making biscuits
*yoga
*an intentional escape,
which includes
~~ leaving the room,
~~separating oneself from the person causing discord
~~separating oneself from the thing of discord
~~immersion in a good book
~~forgetting myself and intentionally seeking out someone who needs help
Then there is fine tuning that can only happen through the atonement of Jesus Christ. How do we access the atonement?
I like to imagine myself walking along a trail carrying two heavy baskets of fruit, one in each arm. The first few minutes of the journey, I'm doing well, but then the burden becomes too much. Sometimes fruit trees line the road and it's tempting to add plums or grapefruits, and so I do, increasing the weight of my burden.
Up ahead, I see a man walking with empty arms. He turns to me and smiles. I could ask for help, but I still think I can make it on my own. He turns around again and smiles. I smile back. He slows his pace allowing me to catch up. At this point, when he opens his arms, I happily give him both baskets. He takes them with surety.
But in real life, there is no trail, no heavy metaphorical baskets, no man who turns and beckons.
The only way to get relief, to fine tune a life, is to ask. In sacred prayer.
This doesn't mean having to find a church or dedicate the morning to silence, folded arms, and bended knees.
Recently, two different people invaded my mind by their actions. I couldn't and can't change either person; I couldn't and can't resolve the problem--and unfortunately I can't rid myself of either one. They are both connected by ties I cannot sever. I was consumed by their presence in my head.
It was time to ask the man with the gentle smile for help.
I started asking. Most often the asking would come when the person randomly entered my thoughts. The only relief was asking for relief in my own head. I silently whispered many prayers. I didn't stop and kneel in prayer, I just asked while I was about my business.
My prayers were answered. Are answered, because it's a continuing request. The requests have diminished but still I need help. I can't explain how it works, only that it does work.
This week, a former student sent these words,
We are all given a different hand at life and the way we respond to these unique circumstances shape us into who we are. It either wrecks or strengthens us. And more than enough for me, I get wrecked. So... we emphasize a lot on the redeeming power of Christ and how He can cleanse us from our past mistakes, but through His enabling power, He can give us the strength to overcome our weaknesses and endure through our trials less painfully. It's when we ask for strength and up-liftment, He can help us to change our own circumstances.
Be free. Be tuned.
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