My wife and girls are away this week visiting my in-laws. She had the time and took the opportunity. I don't mind. It gives me the chance to focus on things that are more difficult to accompish amidst normal family life. So I'm alone. Well, except for the cats. We are "baching". So far, whenever I walk into the bathroom, I've noticed (after the fact) that I've shut - and locked - the door. Why? There's nobody barging in on me for another week, and the cats just aren't interested. Habits.
Habits have taken a beating in my life. My habits and I have had a strained relationship - especially the good ones. I've told myself that habititual behaviors on their own don't hold much virtue because I'm operating out of "habit", and not out of intentionality or moral consciousness. Bleh! How much could that be worth, really? I did it out of habit! There are no heavenly rewards for habit because my heart wasn't in it! Right? Isn't it? And while there might possibly be an element of truth in that, it neglects some very basic mechanics of life. Life DOES happen. When it does, it interrupts our flow, our plans, our intentions, and sometimes, our heart just isn't in 'it' any longer. The trick, you see, it to realize that. I dare say, the better among us realize it earlier than later.
Habits form the safety net that will catch you when your passion fails.
It's true. The epiphany might be that we go through seasons. Some seasons are high intensity and it seems that all in our heart gets accomplished. The next season is one of recovery from the fatigue of the previous season. That's a downer. Our heart's desire is to keep going full steam - and we cannot. Thank God for habits. Do not neglect the good ones, nor despise them because they are what they are.
