I really loved the reading today from "How Yoga Works." One thought that Friday has really struck me. Just as she is waking up for the first time in her cell she narrates, "I had learned a long time before that keeping [yoga exercises] up every day was more important than the problems that would always arise and try to stop them" (14). I couldn't help but relate this thought process to my lack of a committment to read my Bible daily.
That sentence reminded me how many times I make excuses for myself of why it's alright that I skipped my devotional on any number of days. I'll tell myself that I'm really too tired to get anything out of it anyways, or that what I need to do at that moment is more pressing than reading the Bible because I can read it at any time. Imagine the shame and stupidity I felt after reading Friday's expression of her committment to her yoga excercises. That feeling was only amplified as my reading continued, and I reached the section of the Captain's first complaints.
He became defensive when Friday was quick to rebuke him for his lack of committment to his practice. She brought up to amazing points that I think can be related back to anything we do in life.
The first was her questioning of the captain's expectations for his healing. If he wasn't willing to do the work, why on earth would he be disappointed with his results? For my example of reading the Scriptures, I would never have the right to complain about not understanding certain aspects of my faith if I never do the work to discover the answers. However, this question can be asked of anything we do. My 16 year old brother often wonders why he isn't getting any stronger, but he doesn't lift weights more than once a week.
Her second point was to refrain from ever calling our "inability" to practice anything but what it is, laziness. I know I try to dress mine up with phrases like, "I'm just working hard on other things." Simply put, all I have is a lack of true desire to better myself, and I'm just plain lazy because of it. Those are two realizations that are hard to have thrown in your face, and I already admire Friday for putting them so bluntly to a man who could end her life if he wanted to.
I found that same quote inspiring when I was reading for class today. I also think we have unrealistic expectations for all sorts of things like the captain does.
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