bal·ance

When I went to Hawaii in September, I stayed on the Big Island in the small town of Waimea. Upon arrival, I was struck by the perfect balance the place achieved. The dry side of town is rocky and arid, with plentiful sunshine. On the opposite side of town, the wet side, the grass grows tall and the trees are lush and green. It rains almost every day there, and there is certainly no shortage of rainbows. Waimea is tucked in the mountains, but overlooks miles and miles of pristine beach. My days in Hawaii followed this idea of balance, too. Morning runs through the misty town were invariably followed by lazy afternoons soaking up the sun on the beach. We ate dinner at some of Hawaii's finest restaurants, and grabbed breakfast at some of the locals favorite dives. It was perfect. 


Even after my vacation ended, God continued teaching me about this notion of balance. The balance of healthy dependence (on Him and the people who love me most) and reasonable independence and willingness to stand on my own. Of hard work and relaxation. Of faith, trust, and diligence. Lazy weekends are enjoyed most when they follow particularly busy, productive weeks. 


I'm not much of a yoga girl, but I took a class with a friend of mine several weeks ago. I must admit, it was a nice change from my usual spin, kickboxing, and boot-camp schedule. As I shifted from pose to pose, I could hear God whisper "balance" as He breathed peace into my lungs. Just then, I looked across the room at a woman who had to be in her late 70s. As she stood perched on one foot I couldn't help but realize that she certainly had it figured out: balance.


I'm not saying everyone needs to try yoga. Nor am I endorsing it as a a spiritual practice (but, I do think, when you walk closely and intimately with Christ, everything is spiritual, you just have to listen.) But I am advocating balance. Maybe it means adding a few more veggies to your plate. Maybe it means laughing a little to balance out all the seriousness in your life. Whatever it is, I promise you'll feel better.