Abundant Energies

"Our energies are too abundant for living indifferently"

~Abraham Joshua Heschel

Re-discovering this quote has changed the lens through which I am viewing certain aspects of life right now.

Example A:

The book I'm reading at present (The Me I Want to Be - John Ortberg), talks about surrender; how it is one of the hardest things to do, yet is the most liberating action we can take. The author offers a verbal description of the reflexive raising of arms and hands that occurs in victory or celebration. He then compares that to the posture of humility and surrender: kneeling, prone - our bodies expressing what is in our hearts. I've been on a yoga journey of late (loving the yogaglo.com website) and Ortberg's use of the word "posture" took my thoughts immediately to my yoga mat. Child's pose - surrender. Sun salutations - celebration: manifesting the heart through the body. Like whoa. Do I indifferently go through motions, or am I ardently using my energies to live most fully in that moment.

Considering this in conjunction with a recent conversation with Hoku about experiencing true appreciation for this vessel, this body, that I've been given has been transformational. I've never considered my yoga practice a spiritual act of worship (partly due to my discomfort with the association others have with the most-commonly cited religious affiliations of yoga and the questions, looks and concerns some folks tend to have with a Christian who does yoga). But it has become just that (creepin' myself out a bit here with all the yoga love - a bit excessive for me, but yoga and devotions and relationships are evolving together and the culmination is life-giving and beautiful). Final quote from the book (for now): "Exalted high in victory. Bent low is surrender. The two postures seem opposite, but Jesus understood that if you want to experience victory, you must start in surrender. Surrender brings power, and the need to surrender is deeply tied to Jesus' offer of living in the flow of the Spirit. You receive power through the act of surrender that you cannot obtain any other way; you receive freedom through submission that you will otherwise never know."

Mmkay. Then, I am reading this: Romans 12: 1-2 "Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." ...and I start to ponder what it might look like to offer my body as a living sacrifice. Those words create such a striking picture.

HOLY BALLS!

There are other things tied to the abundant energies theme, but perhaps this post is already too long; so those I will save for another blizzardy evening...