Out of Habit

Guinness begging for pizza

            As I have been recently preparing for my move, I realized I was starting to slip in some of my better habits: I've run less, I've eaten some meals that are nutritiously less than ideal. I further recognized that this habit-breaking has extended to dog discipline: when friends were over for dinner and the snouts were shamelessly begging (and ignoring my directives to go lie down).

            Needless to say, these habits did not just stop overnight; they gradually slipped away. Stacking boxes on the treadmill was an excuse for laziness, the ease of ordering in superseded a home-cooked (and portion-controlled) meal, the stress of packing house a rationale for letting the dogs bend the rules.

            The shifts like this can be so gradual that you barely notice them; until something happens (like dog noses at the table, aiming for the pizza!) and you see just how far off track things have gone. And that's when I find myself invited into reflection and action of all aspects of life (physical, emotional, and spiritual health), seeing what habits need a bit of a tune-up, and then making that happen.

The eyes of a mooch, shocked at being denied 

            One of the habits I realized I had not changed in the midst of transition was my prayer practice. I start the day with the Divine Office; no matter how many excuses I could come up with (and there are always excuses we justify to ourselves), there is never (in my opinion) a reason not to pray.

            It's a habit. It's how I start the day, usually before I'm even out of bed. It only takes a few minutes, yet the benefits last all day and beyond. It grounds me, focuses my spirit, invites me to recognize that the day is yet another opportunity to dance with the Divine and celebrate my place as a beloved child of God. My daily prayer is a habit that influences and supports every thing that will happen that day. It's a habit worth maintaining, and supporting.

            So I invite you to reflect on your habits: habits kept, broken, or temporarily on hold. How much of a priority is prayer and praise in your habitual health? And as we continue our journey through this blessed season of Advent, how can we augment our spiritual habits to help us through the temporal busy-ness into the timeless calm of a living relationship with God? Especially during stress and holidays: overeating happens,

pets misbehave, running shoes are ignored. But I hope - and pray - that our prayers will guide us, support us, sustain us, and delight us.