Community and Growth

I'm currently reading 'Community and Growth' by Jean Vanier. It's a great book based on his experience of living with others in intentional community houses with the mentally handicapped and their helpers over the last 50 years or so. He has some excellent insights and the wisdom he brings comes from experince rather than just theory. I've found it very challenging.

There are many quotes I could write, but one that really struck me the other day is as follows;

"If we are in community only to 'do things', it's daily life will not nourish us; we will be constantly thinking ahead, because we can always find something urgent to be done. If we live in a poor neighbourhood or with people in distress, we are constantly challenged. Daily life is only nourishing when we have discovered the wisdom of the present moment and the presence of God in small things. It is only nourishing when we have given up fighting reality and accept it, discovering the message and gift of the moment. If we see housework, or cooking simply as chores which have to be got through, we will get tired and irritable; we will not be able to see the beauty around us. But if we discover that we live with God and our brothers and sisters through what has to be done in the present moment, we become peaceful. We stop looking to the future; we take time to live. We are no longer in a hurry because we have discovered that there is gift and grace in the present of the book-keeping, the meetings, the chores and the welcome."

As I've made an effort to slow down and be thankful to God for the simple things of the day, I've found that I have experienced the peace that Vanier talks about.

A lot of what I do in my job is planning for the future and looking ahead and I often forget to acknowledge the present. I mainly find this with regards to relationships. If the person in front of me isn't going to help me achieve my goal, then I don't often give them time and effort.

I live very strongly with agendas that are future focused.

I struggle to live in the mundane mess of everyday.

But I want to. I want to be thankful for the simple things. I want to live in the moment more. This doesn't mean I don't think or plan for the future, but it shouldn't come at the expense of the joys of today.

Each day is a gift that I'm keen to enjoy!