Moving The Chair

With an afternoon all to herself, each of her children and husband otherwise occupied, she headed to the back patio to enjoy the warmth of the sun. Carefully positioning the chair for maximum exposure, she took her place, closed her eyes, and basked in the warmth of the sun. Before long, she also fell asleep, and, while asleep, the sun moved, causing a shadow to creep across the patio. When she awakened, she found herself no longer in the sun but completely in the shadow.  Instead of moving her chair, she got up and returned to the house.

That describes the way many of us live our lives. We’re given moments when all seems right with the world. The warmth of life basks upon us like rays of sun, and we close our eyes and give thanks for being alive. Unfortunately, such moments don't last. Like the woman on the patio, we often fall asleep as the sun moves, and, eventually, we will find ourselves in shadow rather than sun. That is, unless we have the sense and discipline to get up and move the chair.

It’s often said that the only constant is change. In our individual lives, relationships, businesses, and our spiritual lives the sun is always moving. The challenge is to be aware of the shadow and move our chair as it creeps toward us. When our knee begins to hurt, we go see a doctor. When a small issue between a partner begins to grow, we discuss it or seek professional help. When sales dwindle and the competition innovates, we gather our team and dream about what could be, just like we did when the company first started. And when we feel ourselves drifting away from God, relying more and more on our own efforts, we return to reading scripture, joining a spiritual group or becoming involved in a faith community to awaken ourselves.

These are simplistic examples of moving the chair, I know, but they point to a valuable truth about living an awakened life: move the chair! Yes, it’s easier to stay asleep, but eventually we will find ourselves in the shadow and wonder how it happened.