Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Day 15: changing habits...

I thought giving up beverages would be hard.

I really enjoy the contrast of a sweet drink following a salty or umami morsel.  I love warm tea in the morning.  I need milk after chocolate. Beverages give my life little splashes of satisfaction.

So... let's give them up for lent and see how long i can hang.

Like different forms of fasting,  this practice has given me insight into myself.

I got a new water cup and mostly don't miss beverages....

except...

In routines that they are deeply engrained in...

Sometimes I set up shop at McDonald's and sip on a diet coke while I pound out focus work.

Some meals have particular drinks that go with them and I eat them almost ritually. Drinking perfectly in rhythm. Orchestrating flavors for optimal enjoyment.

In these moments,  there are particular drinks,  textures, flavors that I miss.

But otherwise,  I hardly notice.

It makes me think that if I want to change who I am I need to grow aware of my rituals and recognize how embedded they are in my being.  Change will be easier if I break my routines to new situations.

I think of visiting my parents house with my grown siblings... man,  some things go right back to how they were growing up.

"Wow. I'm being a total teenager right now!!"

Allowing God to work in me may mean constructing new rhythms for me to dance to.

Time to examine what routines I can break down and what new ones I might build up to create opportunity to embrace who God is calling me to become.

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