The Glories of Good Routine

Dear Friends in Christ -

Ever since I got back from Ecuador last week, I've been scrambling about. But not to do more things or new things. I've just been trying to settle into good routine.

When I was younger, I equated "routine" with "boring." But not any more. While I'm often hungry for new experiences and get a thrill out of trying new things, the rhythms of the day-in, day-out shape my body, mind and spirit in profound ways.

When I was younger, I equated "good" with "not excellent." But not any more. While I really enjoy things that are truly excellent, these days I would trade quite a bit of "occasionally excellent" for steady rhythms of "good."

Perhaps the kids I went to High School with - the ones who voted me not only "most likely to succeed" but also "most likely to be rock star" - would be disappointed to hear me at 40+ writing about the glories of good routine. But I'm now at an age where I've gained the courage to tell the truth. And the truth is that what's saving me now - in the midst of the unpredictable seas of daily life - are the steady routines of things like taking a hot shower in the morning, driving the kids to school, reading the prescribed passages of Scripture from the Daily Office, cooking dinner, praying at meetings and tucking kids into bed at night.

"And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the _________ day."

Faithfully,
Janet+