Are You Awake?

Today I am grateful for my son's enjoyable football season and for falling asleep on the couch on a relaxing evening.

I have been doing a fair amount of reading about gratitude and really loved the book Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer by Brother David Steindl-Rast. There were so many "zingers" in there for me that I knew I would need to read it again, so I picked it up yesterday.

On p. 8 of his thought-provoking book he states what he hopes people gain from the book:

1. Waking up is a continuing process. No one wakes up once and for all. There is no limit to wakefulness, just as there is no limit to aliveness.

2. It is risky to be awake to life. It takes courage.

We have to choose between risk and risk. We run the risk of sleeping through life, of never waking up at all. Or else we wakefully rise to the risk of life, facing the challenge of life, love.

Thought-provoking indeed. There is so much to ponder in those few lines that I will leave it at that for now.

Today I will try to be aware of my level of wakefulness. Gratitude keeps me more awake.

Comments

  1. Went on Amazon to look at Brother Davids books, other than the one mentioned above, any other must-haves or good one to start with types? Thanks!!

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    Replies
    1. Kristi, "99 Blessings" is a great little book and one you can pick up and read a page or two at a time and get something out of it. It is literally 99 different blessings, many ordinary but profound things, that Brother David writes about.
      Maybe it will inspire you to write your own gratitude list of 99 things. :-)

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