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Spirit Meter

Recently I was given a gift.  It was a little surprising to me.  I was given a pedometer.  I know many people have these gadgets.  I think they are probably a good idea.  But I never even considered having one myself.  Part of that, no doubt, is having been raised in an era when technological things like this simply were not a part of life.  Having a wristwatch was about as “high tech” as it came!  At one level, I suppose I always will be a child of the pre-computer age.           

Even though I have had a computer for decades, I can easily remember life without it.  I certainly don’t want to give up my computer.  I don’t want to return to the pre-computer days.  They are not necessarily “the old days.”  The computer makes so much possible, I don’t want to live without it.  But I still can imagine life without it.             

A pedometer is another thing.  I have never worn a pedometer.  I have walked and run all my life without needing to have my steps measured.  I have run races when I knew exactly how far I had run.  I have done 5Ks (3.1 miles), 10Ks, Half-marathons (13.1 miles) and a few marathons.  But I never knew how many steps I managed in the process.  I never even wondered how many steps I had taken.  I was not even curious.  And now apparently someone thought I should know this?  Now that’s curious!           

Perhaps one explanation is rooted in the 10,000-step phenomenon.  In summary walking 10,000 steps daily is supposed to be a healthy way to exercise and be in decent shape.  This is an antidote to our sedentary culture where so many of us do not eat right nor get exercise.  I never worried much about exercise, since I have always been active.  However, I will admit that I am doing less exercise than I did back in my “prime time.”  Maybe someone else noticed, too, and that explains my new pedometer.    

I’ll probably wear it out of curiosity.  It might be interesting to see how many steps I actually do take during the day.  I am not particularly hung up on 10,000 steps or any number like that.  I would like to stay active throughout my years and I am sure exercise can help that.  However, I also know that I do not need a pedometer to ensure than I exercise.  So I imagine some day the pedometer will go into a drawer and rest there.  But maybe I am wrong.           

Getting the pedometer did cause me to start thinking spiritually.  I don’t think there is any clear connection between pedometers and spirituality.  But my mind made a connection.  I wondered whether we might imagine a comparable Spirit-ometer?  If one exists, I have never heard about it.  But we can imagine it nevertheless.  The function of the Spirit-ometer is to give us a gauge on our spiritual movement and spiritual health.  Now that is something I am very interested in knowing.           

Let’s imagine what a Spirit-ometer might measure.  I think it could certainly help us measure our level of spiritual discipline.  It is easy to assume that discipline in walking helps us to have a healthy heart.  And the same likely is true for spiritual discipline.  A spiritually disciplined person is much more likely to have a spiritually healthy heart.  Let’s explore this a little further.           

The spiritually disciplined person is a person who is surely more aware.  I am convinced that awareness is often the beginning point for any spiritual growth and development.  Without awareness, spiritual growth is simply a matter of luck.  To be aware is to give ourselves the chance to see our lives and all the possibilities within the context of our lives.  To be aware is to be in a place where we can discern God’s action and God’s grace on our lives.             

Secondly, our awareness enables us to pay attention to particular aspects of our spirituality that we would like to see improve.  For example, I like to pay attention to the openings for ministry.  That means I have a heart for ministry---for service.  But service is a very general commitment.  It needs to become specific.  So I pay attention to see those places where my compassionate heart can be given out in service.  If I am serving, then this surely will register positively on the Spirit-ometer.           

In addition to spiritual discipline, I think a spiritually healthy heart needs balance in life.  Some people are way too busy; others are way too bored.  Busyness is not the same thing as having a purpose.  And boredom never has a purpose.  Spiritually healthy people know there is a need for a balance of activity, rest and some fun.  A Spirit-ometer would help us gauge that balance.             

This issue of balance is still a growth point for me.  After all these years, I sometimes struggle to find and live with some semblance of balance.  However, no store I know of sells a Spiri-ometer, as stores do sell pedometers.  Then it suddenly occurred to me.  Maybe others in our life---spiritual friends and mentors---serve as our Spirit-ometers.  They help us see and understand the truth of our lives.  They help us keep on track and, therefore, keep a healthy spiritual heart. 
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