Living in Harmony..
The word Harmony is the final word of the two words and one short sentence that comprise my theme for 2021. I discussed Resonance Monday, June 7, and Learn the unforced rhythms of grace on the 10th. Today, I would like to explore the final word, Harmony, which I consider my theme’s foundation.
Choosing to focus for any upcoming year is a process. I usually begin thinking about it sometime in late autumn. Some years, it comes suddenly. Other times, I have a fuzzy idea but nailing down the exact word(s) takes time.
The latter was the case in the autumn of 2020. An overarching word that kept emerging was “Balance,” but I didn’t feel quite comfortable with it. Finally, in late December, the word “Harmony” jumped into my soul, and upon that word, Resonance and Learn the unforced rhythms of grace… came into clear focus.
Prayer is always a part of this process. When I was considering my 2021 theme, I didn’t make the musical connections, but I love it. I relish the thought of my human spirit blending with the activity and voices of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—to produce a harmonic spiritual symphony.
One of my deepest desires is to live a fully integrated life. To do so, I realize, is to strive for a life that’s in harmony physically, emotionally/relationally, intellectually, and spiritually.
I visualize ideal life harmony like a tightly tuned quartet. The physical part of who I am blends harmoniously with the emotional/relational part. Physical and emotional/relational voices blend well with the intellectual voice. And all are in harmony with the spiritual component of who I am.
Harmony, whether musically, physically, emotionally, relationally, or spiritually, is a process of:
discovery and learning,
acceptance,
choice,
practice, practice, more practice,
achieving degrees of mastery.
A theological term for spiritual growth is “progressive sanctification,” which means that in this life, I can grow increasingly to become more like Jesus. My personal theological bend is that this will never occur fully while we’re still living in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous.)
We can, however, make progress. This makes my journey of faith an adventure, discovering and learning how to accomplish the good work God designed me to do.
The bonus in this journey is a Spiritual Sherpa—the Holy Spirit—who speaks softly into my human spirit, cheers me on, and keeps me on the right path!
