Keeping on Track

Getting Ahead of Myself

    I know myself.  At least I think that I do.  But part of that knowledge is the realization that sometimes, in the midst of the busy-ness of life, my emotional caboose somehow seems to overtake the locomotive and I'm trying to pull the train without the power of the engine.  

    Do you ever feel that way?   Sometimes I begin to lose sight of the journey and get caught up in the moment.  Some say, "Live for the Moment", and that's true with regard to leaving our pasts behind, and being aware of what's going on in the present.  But when THE MOMENT takes over, and begins to consume us, it's not a healthy thing.  We need to have a plan in place, and each moment should fit as a tiny piece of the puzzle into furthering our ultimate purpose.

   Along with this realization comes a sense of fulfillment and peace.  It brings with it a balance and rest, even in the midst of the chaos of life.

Runaway Train

   It is easy to just say, "I'm okay", but sometimes I am NOT okay.  I need to pull that emergency brake, stop the train, get off, stretch my legs, take a break, and then, and only then, get back on that train and resume my journey.  I'm fooling myself if I say, "I don't have time for that", and just run on and on, my mind and emotions running at breakneck speed toward oblivion.

   The nature of our physical and mental health is that we keep on going, seemingly forever, always chugging along, until at some point, the combined stress and wear and tear of the road take its toll and bring us to a sudden and unexpected stop.   It may not be of our choosing.  If we wait until then to speculate, the results may be devastating.

   A much better path is to take periodic inventories of where we are at on our journey, and stage personal yard sales to rid ourselves of all of the unneeded junk and excess in our lives.   
   Often those things we think "we may need" at some point are really just weighing our train down and keeping it from running at its optimum level of performance.   We may think by pouring on more fuel, and gunning the throttle, that we are going to arrive sooner to our destination.  In fact, we may instead become siderailed in some desert wasteland, or run into a brick wall.

   There are occasions when the Engineer calls on us as "workers" and our job is to throw ourselves into what is going on at the moment.  But there are also other times when he tells us, "I've got this," and we go back into the lounge car, take a window seat, and just relax.

   Just a thought.  Perhaps meant more for myself than the reader.  It's difficult to think of slowing down or contemplating our situation when we are in the middle of doing a hundred different things.   

   Go take a look at the personal memoirs of Jesus (the Gospels).  He had a Mission to accomplish.  But part of that was --stopping-- to enjoy a moment, or to reach out to someone in need.

   Take note of his encounter with Mary and Martha. Their house was a favorite hangout for Jesus.  But on one particular visit, he took note of the 'busy--ness' of Martha vs. the 'calm--ness' and peace of Mary.  She recognized it was "more needful" to spend time with their special guest than to be running about, seeing that all of the little last--minute details were covered.

    Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?   Don't fool yourself into thinking you're ahead of the game, when you may be on a runaway train, hurtling headon toward disaster.

Psalm 46:10- "Be still, and know that I am God."

John 15:5- "Without me, you can do nothing."