Lent: Day Thirty

I've been thinking about ritual today. And, conversely, about the unexpected and the out-of-the-ordinary.

I delight in both.

Ritual:

Getting ready for bed. I brush my teeth with a dry toothbrush for several minutes, floss, brush with toothpaste, wash my face, get in my pajamas, grab a book, crawl under the covers, and go, "Ahhhh." It is my time to contemplate today and prepare for tomorrow.

Making coffee. It, like getting ready for bed, is the time I gear up for whatever is ahead. I put a lot of thought into grinding the beans; scooping the coffee; measuring the water; waiting for it to boil; timing how long it sits before I press the French press down; breathing in the aroma; taking the first sip, eyes closed; opening my eyes and saying to the day, "Let's go." The ritual of it all wakes me up as much as the caffeine.

Church. I like the announcements, the singing, the time of offering, the prayers, the communion. Spiritual rituals, like others in our lives, help us contemplate and prepare. Spiritual rituals also help us remember. And I think that's very important.

There have been countless times during this period of Lent that I have returned to the Ash Wednesday service in my head. I don't necessarily remember the sermon, but I do remember the flickering candles; the feeling of the ashen cross being pressed on my forehead; the somber words reminding me from ashes I came and to ashes I will return; and one poignant, fleeting moment where I feel I fully grasped -- as much as these human minds are able -- what Christ's death actually means.

The unexpected:

I love surprises! I really do.

It makes my day -- my week -- when I bump into someone at a coffee shop and end up talking with them for an hour or more, in spite of the duties that need to be done that day.

And I can guarantee the fastest way to my heart is through an unexpected vase of flowers, an 'I was in the neighborhood' visit, a hand-scribbled note on a napkin. If a man breaks the usual, the routine in the relationship, I melt like butter, and I am HIS.   

Detours delight me! Big or small. If I was going 'here' and end up 'there' it makes a good story.

Anyway, I have so much more to say on all this, but I'm getting sleepy. So, I'll close with this: I think we need ritual. It keeps us grounded. Likewise, I think we need the unexpected. It shows us the places we would not think to go, the relationships we would not seek, the doors we would not open, and the depths of those we love to which we would not normally dive.

K. Brush teeth, floss, think, brush teeth again, wash face, grab book, bed, ahhh....