We have an exercise session every Wednesday here in our community with a very good instructor. He asked the other day what’s the major concern elderly people have about their physical mobility? Keeping their balance, he said. 

Balance is a good thing to pay attention to in many ways, isn’t it? Our instructor is taking us through ways to keep physically balanced, simple exercises to keep the parts of the body supple and in tune. 

Our spirits need balance too. Besides breathing in and breathing out, stretching muscles and limbs, we have to make sure our spirits reach out beyond ourselves. That’s done by prayer, for one thing.

Our own spiritual tradition says that prayer is important and points to the beginning of the day and the end of the day, morning and evening, as special times to exercise that gift. Beginning and ending the day are times favoring prayer.

Jesus prayed in the morning and evening, scripture say. He prayed at other times too, but in the morning and evening he prayed the prayers his people prayed, the psalms. He came to know them by heart. 

There’s a balance in the psalms. They speak for you personally and they remind you of the world beyond yourself. You can walk in this world without fear, but there’s always a danger of falling. Pay attention to the time you have and where you’re going.

Mindfulness is not only for physical movements. We need to be mindful of the signs of the times and the One who sets us in these times. As we do our exercises, our instructor reminds us to keep close to our chair. Grab on to it if you’re losing your balance.

The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, my refuge. In him alone is my hope.