V

I meet the most interesting people at the pool.The other day, this woman my age and I were sharing how boring swimming can be.Thirty minutes of the back stroke with nothing to see but the corrugated white ceiling of the Steve Lunquist Aquatic Center can get tiresome.She offered that recently she started to go through the alphabet with each lap and think of a scripture verse and ponder it as she goes along.

Today, I tried it. When I got to "O" the thought came that, "Only in God is my soul at rest;he is my help,my salvation."I thought of all the times in my life when I let go of the tether that holds me to "Holy the Firm".(Annie Dillard's words.)All I have to do is stop praying and my focus goes here and there like a kite without a tail.But mostly, "I" become the focus and become the obsessive person with a dustpan and brush sweeping up the crumbs of admiration, success, love, and adoration;trying to fill that hole that only the One can fill.

"I can do this" I say to myself...""all by myself.This is deadly for me.In my heart,I know that we are not made for that.

Then, I get to "V" and of course , off I go thinking of the priest,the teenager,the perfect Lizard Leader and like a gentle wave the words "venite adoremus"come to my mind;"come, let us adore Him" and I am back to where rest is.