@HomewithDean - Homily 10/3 - a podcast by KFI AM 640 (KFI-AM)

Yesterday, after the show, Tina and I ate breakfast, put on some comfy clothes, put the top down on our little yellow Jeep and we headed out into the day with no destination, no ToDo list, no appointments, nothing scheduled, nothing pressing that couldn’t wait, and most importantly … absolutely no plan.

We do this from time to time as a form of … well … call it active rest, and as a kind of meditation if you can embrace that word without over-spiritualizing it.

We call it finding space.

Space for what? Space for anything really—thoughts, feelings, desires. You never know what’s going to rise up into an empty space. So, mostly it is space for us.

We’ve both found that the currents in the river of life are seductively strong and tricky to navigate. At first you pray for them to come. You long to get off the shore an into the flow. You hope to really go places, to gain momentum, and when the current begins to carry you it doesn’t disappoint. It feels great.

But the price of every new adventure is that before long, as the pace quickens, the currents that move you along come to collect their due. Yes, you’re still moving forward, perhaps stronger than ever, but eventually the sense of expedition and creative freedom begins to yield to the practical demands of the current, and instead of navigating this river on your terms, it’s easy to simply spend your days just paddling to keep off the rocks.

A lot can happen during those times that goes unnoticed. A lot of changes can quietly occur inside you that go unnoticed. Their tiny voices drowned out by the roar of the current.

And so, Tina and I have gotten into the habit of regularly putting our little boat to shore, getting out of the flow for just a bit, stretching our legs and just finding space.

Some folks seem to live for the current and never leave the river. I try hard not to judge them because who am I to say they’re doing it wrong. All I can say is I personally don’t have that level of endurance and will lose myself if I stay out on the water too long.

Other folks walk away from the river and never come back. That may sound romantic but if I’m perfectly honest with myself—and everything meaningful in life has to survive honestly—then I will tell you I’m not built to be a monk. As contemplative as I may be I like the river.

But I am sensitive to being ruled by it. So, from time to time we take time, pull to shore, press pause, and make space.

I could be wrong but it seems to me that most of us aren’t built to ride the river without stopping or walk away from it and never look back. It seems to me most of us have to, want to, need to be in that river of life. So today I’m just here to remind you, don’t lose yourself to it. Take a break. Press pause, not stop, just pause, and give yourself some space to see what rises up into it.

The river is long. Pace yourself. The river is strong. Get some rest. The river has a mind of its own. Take whatever time you need to make sure you are navigating for yourself and not just being carried away by the current. Space is a good thing. Once you find it you might just decide it’s where you’re going to build yourself a beautiful life.

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