Morning Prayer 36/100. Skinned knees
Skinned knees were a pretty common occurrence before I was 10 years old. Not so common now, they happen still.
Fortunately, the older I’ve gotten, the fewer knee-first falls. While I don’t recall specifics of the long-ago scrapes, I do have clear memories of the latest few. Those recollections let me know these are different from my childhood abrasions in two ways.
First, they result from inattention. Maybe all my skinned knee came from my not paying attention. But as an adult, I should pay attention. I should be careful. I should consider where my next step may take me.
7 years ago I was running around the neighborhood. I came upon a rock and all I wanted to do was kick it down the street as I ran
Skinned knees – slower heal
past. I didn’t look closely and see it wasn’t just a rock lying on the street. It was the iceberg tip. It was anchored so firmly that it didn’t move. Both knees took a skid.
2 years ago I was running around the neighborhood. I smiled and waved and said, “Good morning!” to a couple on the sidewalk. I didn’t pay attention to the 1-inch difference in the sidewalk’s concrete slabs. The tiny ledge made my toe pay attention and my knees say “good morning” to the pavement.
2 months ago Cindy and I were walking around Union Square in San Francisco. I joyfully encouraged myself to pay attention to everything there was to see. My eyes raced 360° all around Cindy and me: people, store windows, skyscrapers, open-top tour buses. But I didn’t pay attention to the curb. I stepped off and kept stepping down onto my knee.
Here’s the second difference: skinned knees take longer to heal the older I get. But because they do, I’m given more encouragement to pay attention.
It’s like that with my spiritual being, too. I should know to pay attention; I’ve had years’ of blessings to help me pay attention to the grace and joy I receive from Spirit. Sometimes I tend to kick a little bother out of the way instead of releasing the boulder below the surface. Sometimes I don’t realize the little ledges I’ve created can (and probably will) trip me up. Sometimes I’m intent on looking at the world outside, and maybe I should curb that with more time and peace looking within.
Skinned knees can be blessings. Sort of.
Good Friend,
I affirm more attention,
closer attention,
better attention
to the Truth of your blessings.
Rather than scrape my knees
on ego-assumption that I can take care
of my problems, my challenges, my doubts,
my self,
I turn to you for guidance.
I open my heart to hear and see
where you lead me to,
what you guide me to do.
And if I skin my knees,
I thank you for the lessons learned
as together we heal my pain.
And so it is. Amen.
Love and blessings,
09/21/2015
In: Commitment, Energy, Gratitude, Happiness, Healing, Humility, Inner Peace, Life, Prayer, Strength · Tagged with: Faith, God, Joy, Oneness, power of good, praying, spiritual simplicity, Strength
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