People have never accused me of being “athletic.” I learned early on that I was far more inclined toward music and acting than sports. Sports required some semblance of coordination and endurance, neither of which I possessed. While friends train for marathons, I’m much better at cheering loudly from the sideline. My general rule of thumb is that I only run if something is chasing me.
The truth is, I’ve never really considered myself disciplined. I was a procrastinator through my last days of graduate school. (In fact, I think I sent my From the Pews in the Back submission at 11:57 the night of the due date.) I always wished I were one of those people who would go to the library at 8:00 a.m. during reading week, as I sat on the sofa watching Law and Order reruns on TNT, condemning myself to another late-night paper-writing session.
I always wished I were different, that I was disciplined. The same spilled over into my spiritual life. I always wanted to be one of those people with a fruitful, disciplined prayer routine. Instead, I encountered God in bursts and pulses during the ebb and flow of my everyday life. My spiritual director helped me see that I was praying with who I am rather than who I am not. Still, that felt a little like the easy way out. I wanted to make time for God, carve space in my day to be with God, to listen for the still, small voice. Yes, I was going to be the disciplined person of faith I wanted to be…starting tomorrow. Continue reading
Filed under: Angela Batie Carlin, Spiritual Identity | Tagged: discipline, exercise | 2 Comments »
From the Pews in the Back 