Stability

I woke this morning thinking of stability, and how easy it might be to lose one's sense of it as this pandemic disease moves through.  Things have dramatically changed for most of us.  These thoughts again bring me back to the Rule of St. Benedict.  Benedictines take a vow of stability - that they will remain in community.  Esther de Waal in Seeking God, The Way of St. Benedict writes of this vow:  "Stability, from the Latin word meaning to stand, means staying still, remaining firm, not necessarily in a geographic sense, but in the fundamental sense of the interior holding firm, refusing to run away, recognizing that we are in the for the long haul and that we will stick it out to the end."   The fascinating, and yes, frustrating element of Covid 19 is that is pretty much leaves us no where to go.  We must be where we are.   

As I continue to practice yoga, I am still having difficulty balancing on one leg.  One evening in class, a fellow student, a former judo instructor, mentioned that she found that most people over-correct when they find they cannot maintain balance. She contends that over-correction contributes to an even greater imbalance. Her suggestion is to just to make a subtle shift in the standling ankle. I believe that to be true, and even though I am still having trouble maintaining the pose, I am wobbling less. 

I think this is a good suggestion for all of us to keep in mind.  If we find ourselves losing our sense of balance and composure, let us not pancic, but first try making some simple changes and shifts.  Stay in relationship with yourself and those you love.  Practice trust.  A friend and I have decided to meet for tea when people can gather once again.  I suggested that we placed that image "on our horizon".  That image, while still distant, helps me to trust that my waiting is indeed holy for it is waiting in God.  I am grateful.  

   

Wait for God, 

Be strong and take heart 

and wait for God.  

Psalm 27:14