The calendar year 2008 is quickly coming to an end.  Everywhere we turn people seem shocked and/or amazed at the speed with which time has elapsed this year.  No one can truly believe that we will all be sitting around the Thanksgiving table in less than two weeks.  “Where has all the time gone?” we ask.  What has happened to our world of peace and tranquility, our ability to focus and get things done in a reasonable fashion?  What happens to all that time that seems to run away from our consciousness?  Does it evaporate?  Does someone steal it from our grasp?  Or, does it simply slip away while we are too busy with ten million things?

    As we enter into that time of year when nature tries its best to give us an opportunity to regroup, perhaps we could make a sincere effort to cooperate and take some time for reflection.  You may think that such a notion is comparable to reaching out for the polar extreme of your present life but, when we give it serious thought, we will admit that it is not just a nice idea.  It is vital to the health of our whole being.

One of the major problems that seems to be afflicting our Christian consciousness is the mental and emotional reality of leading a split or schizophrenic lifestyle.  It is not so much that we do not have faith in God or that we do not believe in family values or that we do not believe in a good work ethic.  In truth we believe in all of the above.  However, we have allowed ourselves to spin out of control and we are now very fragmented.

If we want to use an analogy, let’s take the art of weaving.  Weaving is the textile art in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads called the warp (the vertical threads), and the weft (the horizontal threads), are interlaced with each other to form a fabric or cloth.  Weaving is also described as a procedure for “uniting into a coherent whole.”  Any experienced weaver knows that this is a process that takes time and patience and that it cannot be hurried.

Living in our present society necessitates that we become excellent weavers.  We must be able to take the various threads of our life and we must take the time to weave them together in order to create a living wholeness for ourselves.  We cannot afford to live in separate compartments and hope for the best.  Weaving a truly beautiful garment take patience.  Patience is not an option for us.  It is an integral part of wellness.  If we are serious about our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health we must take the time to begin weaving these threads together.

It is understandable that all of this sounds easier said than done.  However, if we opt to neglect the option of wellness we may soon find ourselves on the fringe of madness.  The good news is that we do not have to undertake this project alone.  God is always there waiting on the sidelines to be our cheerleader, our support, our mentor.  All we need to do is remember to look and listen for him.    Happy weaving!

                        Lorette P. Nault