I'm cleaning the roof and gutters at home today. It's one of those unavoidable chores every homeowner around here must face: clearing the leaves and twigs that dropped over the long, dry summer before the rainstorms come (hopefully) as they often do in South Texas.
DOWN ON MY KNEES
This task involves a fair amount of work, clambering up and down the ladder while hauling tools, inhaling some dust and pollen, crawling around the edges of the roof and digging my hands through the gutters to dislodge the tightly packed organic matter. Meanwhile, I'm doing my best to ignore the fluttering sensations in my chest each time I look down to see the looming distance between my head and the ground below.
It's a little bit thrilling, a little bit scary, and a whole lot of sweaty, but it's a task that needs to get done. On the whole, I don't mind too much, because it's such a sweet, satisfying feeling when the job is finally finished and I get to stand on the newly swept roof, surveying the empty gutters and the unfettered view of our yard and gardens below.
LOOKING WITHIN
Even as I stand feeling quietly elated, I know all too well that it'll be necessary to climb back up here to do the very same thing this winter, after all the autumn leaves have fallen and the gutters have gotten clogged again. That's just the nature of the task and one of the ongoing joys of home ownership.
As I continue to stare at the view, I suddenly become aware that this would be a good time to clean my "spiritual gutters" from the inside out, too. That as summer winds down and autumn approaches, it would be helpful to undertake a day or two of extended meditation, time for some extra study or prayer work. It's just one of those things that needs to be done periodically for the sake of maintaining a clear, well-functioning internal guidance system for navigating life. I don't know what form it will take, but I make a silent promise to devote at least one full day, maybe two or more, to clearing out the inner debris that has piled up over the course of another busy season, full of doing, going and growing...
LOOKING AHEAD
Does this thought ring true for you, too? If so, you know what to do, don't you? In any case, I send rich blessings on your spiritual path, wherever it may lead in the coming days and weeks ahead.
With joy,
Rudi
PS: If, for whatever reason, you aren't able to give yourself the gift of time for rest and reflection before then, consider coming to the Circle's Fall Retreat that Zet and I will be facilitating at Slumber Falls Camp in New Braunfels on October 16-18. I guarantee you'll be glad you did!
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