I am absent-minded these days. I must admit that I have always been a little absent-minded. I forget to write letters, return phone calls, answer emails. My mind is always filled with all types of things books I want to see, music I want to listen to, people I want to visit, food I want to eat. But, to achieve any of those things, some action by me is needed.
My mind frequently explores the connection of pastoralism, philosophy, and predilection in my personal faith development. This morning I have played with their individual meanings and created a simple confection which will cause me to revisit and reevaluate these statements. Such is life! Such is spiritual development. There will always be questions both asked and unasked, prayers well formed and prayers rushed and incomplete. I am learning to sprinkle faith on everything.
My conception of spiritual life has these very words with there very distinct definitions woven into one very thick strand. My spiritual life needs pastoralism, needs philosophy, needs predilection.
Pastoralism provides the tools to grow and protect a Christian life which contains love, hope, fairness and which is giving and peaceful. Pastoralism reminds me to keep humility, charity, mercy in my heart and to share them unconditionally with everyone.
Philosophy provides the great rhetorical questions which can make me peevish if I consider them too long in the vacuum of the infinite. Questions about why I do this or that, how I feel about this or that provide a glimpse into my true being. I learn more about my humanity when I analyze my behavior with acquaintances, friends, and other strangers. Within my philosophy resides a basic curiosity. Within my philosophy resides a basic belief in order. Within my philosophy resides my basic belief in God. My philosophy retains the childish enthusiasm and never ending question creating tools.
It is my curiosity which leads me closer to God; it is my curiosity which questions what is in my heart and soul; it is my curiosity which encourages me to give goodness a chance; it is my curiosity which encourages and fuels my hope. And my philosophy uses this information to move me closer toward God, to strengthen my belief in God.
My predilection for being Christian and following in the footsteps of Christ is influenced by the pastoralism and philosophy within my life. Each day there is a reason to pray, to give thanks, to remember God’s goodness. For my life to have meaning, it must have direction. It must have motion. My heart and soul must be working together to help me do the right thing, be the humble, obedient servant of God. For my life to have meaning I must accept and protect the desire to place God in the position of supreme importance in my life. My life is not my life. It is God’s life. It is God’s will.
Each choice that I make should reflect that simple belief.
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