A New Word

Mindfulness is both a new word and new concept for this old Methodist preacher.  So often now as I read books written back in the day when I was giving leadership to churches, I am reading things I would have no use for now.  And the books I am reading now, I would not have bothered with back in those days of hurrying to get things done.  Getting things done in a hurry and mindfulness are not exactly like couples holding hands. 

 

I must confess to being in another universe back in the day before retirement.  I remember an Associate who worked with me in one of those churches who told me after we had spent some time at a prayer retreat that he could never serve at such a place because he would be too busy keeping track of how many people came each month.  I understood since I was a kindred spirit of his.  So much of this way of seeing the world began to change when the door was opened to the season of retirement.  Some might say the change was inevitable with retirement.  Others might say there is nothing else to do but live with an inner attitude of mindfulness.

 

The truth is that retirement came with a divine Word being spoken which simply said, "Pay Attention."  I suppose the words came out of an awareness that the days going forward were surely of a limited number, but I would rather think of them as a Word from the Spirit which was alerting me to the possibility of new doors opening on my spiritual journey.  I do know the discipline of paying attention, or being mindful, has slowed my life down enough that things not seen are being seen and things never heard are being heard.  And mostly, I know the change is not about me, but because of the grace of God which has no end and is so filled with patience and mercy that it is overwhelming.