Soul Maintenance

In my younger days, I had very bad luck with cars. Before the advent of the helpful ‘low fuel’ indicator, I ran out of gas on a busy Brooklyn street. I walked to a filling station to borrow a gas can. The can did not have a spout attached, so my friend and I improvised with paper cups, trying to get enough gas in the tank before the cup disintegrated. It was quite a feat! We did not realize that there was, indeed, a spout, which merely had to be pulled out of the rim, until we had spilled fuel all over ourselves. On another fateful day, my car blew its gasket on a highway, many miles from home. I learned the hard way that in order to avoid that particular catastrophe, one must regularly have the oil levels checked.

Those are only 2 examples. There’s not enough space to talk about the shredded tires, alternator mishap, smoke billowing from the dashboard, getting stuck on the Verrazano Bridge during rush hour, etc. My run of ‘bad luck’ continued until I met my husband. Now, our cars run like magic! 

At first I thought it was some good ‘car karma’ that Bob possessed. But after some observation, I realized that a functioning car was not a matter of chance or luck. Bob is a zealot when it comes to car maintenance–oil changes are done at the prescribed time, he checks the pressure on the tires and has them changed before they go bald! It’s not magic. It’s a disciplined approach which pays dividends in reliable transportation. 

Sometimes I approach my interior life with the same casual neglect that I once used on my cars. I have many obligations and, in order to fit everything in, I skimp things vital to my well-being. You know what I mean, don’t you? The clamoring needs of employment, family, community–we rush to fulfill these demands disregarding our own need for the Spirit of God to speak, restore and heal. 

It’s especially difficult in the height of tourist season, when the summer seems like an endless sprint. While our guests are ‘restoring their souls’, enjoying sunsets, good food at our restaurants, beautiful hotels, we are at our busiest. It’s easy to neglect the important work of the soul. I am not suggesting that we throw off responsibilities. I am saying that in order to meet all the clamoring needs that present themselves, let us schedule some regular ’soul maintenance’ -spending time in worship, in quiet reflection, in study, in the beauty of nature... in the things that will renew our spirits. 

I am reminded of the story in the gospel of Mark. Jesus had been healing and preaching all day. In the wee hours of the morning he sought out a quiet place to be alone with God. If Jesus needed to spend time in restorative prayer, how much more do we!

Dawn Volpe

Pastor at Ephraim Moravian Church