Practicing Wholeheartedness

A personal theme for the past 2 years or so has been living with wholeheartedness. If you've read my blog, you've probably noticed the theme coming up time and again in different contexts.  The launching point for it, of course, has been David Whyte's excellent thought that "the antidote to exhaustion is not rest, but wholeheartedness."This is always challenged in practice, however.  So, as I prepared to vacation this summer, I was thinking about how getting away might impact me.  Would I find myself, as I typically have, depressed on the last day of vacation?  Might I find that I really didn't rest as I had hoped to?  Would my vacation be a long-awaited respite only to bring dread as the end approached?I'm delighted to say that I'm back, refreshed, and rested.  But I'm also delighted to say that I didn't crave this vacation like I have in the past.  Nor, did I dread its end.  In fact, many things were different.  Here are a few reflections:First, I've tried to live with more of a sense of presence and wholeness daily, rather than working busily and exhaustingly up until that 'salvation' called vacation.  Strangely, on the day we left, I told my wife that I really wasn't excited to go, that living in the present felt so good that I was a bit afraid to lose this sense of presence in the busyness of our packed two weeks of activity.Second, I didn't take 10 books on this trip, hoping to read what I hadn't gotten to in my busyness.  Rather, I had only the books that sat on my iPad Kindle, which were opened just a few times.  My goal was to stay connected, to God, to my own heart, to my wife, and to my kids.Third, I prepared well in advance not to run away.  In other words, when you live without wholeheartedness, as divided and fragmented and 'not yourself', you can't help but want to get away to 'find yourself.'  No doubt, rest and solitude is necessary, and aids this process.  But everyday American life affords little opportunity for real, daily solitude, especially for those of us with children.  Therefore, I wanted to live more wholly daily, mindful of the fact that it would mean that I had to confront my patterns of escape, numbing, and coping which have stifled me spiritually and relationally over the years.  Preparation helped me to live more wholly throughout the year, enabling me to leave for vacation rested already, in one sense, and able to really enjoy the time with others.Finally, I found that living this way was not merely self-help.  This has enabled me to live more missionally, more mindful of others and more engaged with my family, my neighbors, and my world.  When I live a fragmented existence (busily working to achieve, to gain approval, to meet demands, to avoid my own issues), I live disconnected from others.  Paradoxically, the need to meet everyone else's needs disconnects me from those who I am called to love and serve.This experiment in wholeness has been fruitful, particularly over the past two years or so.  It's an oasis in the desert, but I'm also aware of my own propensity to manufacture disaster in my own life, amounting to even more fragmentation, self-sabotage, and more.  I pray for God's grace to continue in the way of wholeness, knowing that I can be extraordinarily creative at practicing dividedness, as well.