We are naturally creatures of habit. We cannot help ourselves, no matter how spontaneous we may believe ourselves to be.
We all have our routines and schedules. There is a time and process for how we get ready in the morning and out the door to school and work.
We have our favourite routes we take to the grocery store or into Vancouver. We know which lane we want to be in and when and lord help us if there is construction on the way with an unhelpful detour route. Sound familiar?
Routines, rhythms and the pattern of each day and week is normal and necessary. These routines help keep us grounded and in control of our schedules. With a well-established routine, when there are unhelpful detours that inevitably come up, we are better equipped to navigate through them and continue with our day.
For me, Lent, the six weeks before Easter, is a about paying attention to the rhythms and patterns of our day and life. This is a time to intentionally slow down and pay attention to where we are and how we are navigating ourselves through life. All too often we can get caught up in doing the same things day in and day out that we lose track of why we do what we do. By slowing down and paying attention to the rhythms and patterns of our life we can reconnect with ourselves and reconnect with our Creator.
In reconnecting with ourselves we begin to learn what are the elements that hold us back from being more fully alive. This is a time to let those aspects, those old practices go so that we can be ready to embrace the new possibilities that await us in the Resurrection.
