Muddy Waters

Fill a glass with water.  Then put some mud in it.  Not just loose dirt, but mud.  At first, all the water will be affected by the mud.  Let the glass sit for a day or two.  Now the mud sinks to the bottom and the water at the top of the glass looks much better.  This is a metaphor for my spiritual journey.  Before the journey my whole life looks muddy/messy/murky.  I say, “I gotta get some help!”  So I start on a path in which there is some time of silence and stillness.  I “feel” better.  “See, I am well, a spiritual giant!” I tell myself.  My outside actions, the ones people see, are a bit more virtuous.  But the mess is still there, lurking.  If I stop the spiritual practice, the mess will rise up and bite me with bad behavior, at the least.  Without a daily spiritual practice, I will shake up the mud of my life, like the glass being shaken.  Daily vigilance for me.  Maybe you can pray once a week and do OK.  Then again maybe not.  Knowing your demons can keep you disciplined.