“You shall love God with all your heart…
and love your neighbor as yourself.”
From Mark 12:30-31
This first week of September, the world around me continues to lack the normalcy we’ve come to expect at the onset of a new school year. Most of the children I know are beginning this year with remote learning in the comfort of their own homes. Still, the teacher in me impels me to gauge the moment at hand in accord with my own life in academia. Since I entered kindergarten, I’ve settled into a comforting routine by this time every September. This remained true for the years I spent as a student and the years I spent as a teacher and an administrator.
This year, I’m having a little trouble finding a comfortable routine. The unexpected events that come with this pandemic continue to disrupt my scheduling attempts quite creatively. The tribulations of this world continue to pull at my heartstrings. As a result, I can’t seem to organize and to prioritize effectively. There’s just too much on my mind. When I try, the things I truly want to do -Like finishing my book!- continue to find their way to the bottom of my to-do list. “You’re not getting any younger,” I tell myself.
With that realization in mind, I reread the scripture I cited above. I do love God with my whole heart, so I care for the things God loves. I love my neighbor, so I care for my neighbor. It occurs to me that I’m one of God’s beloved as well. If I’m going to love others as I love myself, I need to love me and to prioritize me a bit more efficiently. This means that, on occasion, I get to accommodate my own heart’s desire and so do you!
Dear God, help me to find balance as I strive to love as you, my neighbor and me.
©2020 Mary Penich – All Rights Reserved