Karen Restivo
In Other Words....
I was having lunch with a friend of mine recently and the topic of cars came up.
She told me about one of many things her dad passed on to her-always take a walk around any vehicle you’re about to drive, for safety purposes.
He wasn’t speaking of a full vehicle inspection, but a basic check to see that it is in good working order.
It made me smile because that is exactly something a dad would say.
My dad did the same and went as far as to instruct my two sisters and me how to change a tire, check tire pressure, check the levels of oil, water, anti-freeze, transmission and windshield wiper fluids.
Dad was a big believer in preventative maintenance.
Every morning when we get up to get ready for work or get the kids off to school, one way or another we do a once over in front of the mirror to make sure we are in good working order, that being physically.
What can’t be glimpsed in the mirror is the need for our mental and spiritual life to be in good working order. Author Christine Green wrote recently on the topic in the daily guide (January 2022) in Science of the Mind.
She said it beautifully, “I acknowledge my flexibility, strength and energy - even on those days when it feels like I don’t have any.
“I appreciate the parts that are in good working order and send love to the parts that are aching and in pain. I bless my body.
“My voice is an instrument for peace, my hands a medium for service. My feet and legs transport me so that I may be a vehicle to express divine love in the world.”
Her words resonated with me.
We’re so quick to fall into the habit of complaining about what’s not in good working order for us rather than acknowledging its presence and focusing on our gratitude for the parts of us that are in good working order.
Ernest Homes once said, “In order to have faith; we must have a conviction that all is well.
“In order to keep faith, we must allow nothing to enter our thoughts which will weaken our conviction.”
That’s a tall order putting those last two sentences into practice.
In other words, it’s completely worth our time and attention on preventative maintenance to guarantee the wholeness of our human nature to be in good working order.
Karenrestivo57@gmail.com