Taking Off the Headphones

My gym buddy stood me up this morning, which was probably one of the best things she could have done for me today.

You see, we have this longstanding agreement that it's ok not to show up. We tell each other we'll be there, no matter what, so that the other workout partner feels compelled to go. If my workout buddy isn't there, I know it's because something important came up (like a sick kid or a hubby just home from a hunting trip) - no phone call is necessary. I say a prayer for her, and go along with my workout.

Most days, my precious, wonderful iPod is in my purse and I tune in and catch up on podcasts. But this morning, alas, it was still hooked up to my computer...

Plan B - read...oops, forgot the reading glasses! Strike two...

OK, this is the perfect time for the Rosary! But midway through, I became somewhat distracted by the sounds of a variety of conversations around me.

The first was of a woman telling her friend about the arrival home last Wednesday of her husband, who has been serving in Iraq for the past fifteen months! I felt like running over and hugging her, and thanking her for their sacrifice. Recalling the state of my personal hygiene, I refrained and offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving for his brave service and for all of our troops separated from families at Christmas.

When she yielded her treadmill, my attention turned to a heated discussion between two men behind me related to last night's execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Each offered biblical references for his opposing opinion on the death penalty, while CNN silently played the details of the situation in the background. With a heavy heart, I offered a prayer for the repose of the soul of this man, for the victims of the murder, and for their families.

Life, and all of its trials and triumphs, is what's going on around me when I'm tuned into my own little world and its workings. There are so many in our world who need prayers and support that sometimes it can feel overwhelming.

I've been praying lately for a heart open to hearing Christ's invitation to serve others - I'm pretty sure I heard some knocking at my heart's door this morning on the treadmill...