Comparisons

I’m trying to be thoughtful about using the internet so much these days. Being in front of the computer more than usual, and posting videos of sermons are different experiences for me, physically, theologically, technically, and spiritually. I feel a little like I’ve been swimming in a lap pool, and now I can only swim in the ocean. It’s doable, but it can’t be done mindlessly or routinely. Every stroke is a little different from the last.

One of the waves that hits me from time to time is the bugaboo of comparison. I’m trying to hold both the wisdom of Teddy Roosevelt who said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and at the same time learning new ways of doing my work from other people. I found this article from Psychology Today helpful in doing both. https://tinyurl.com/tetryrv

My reading of early monastics would suggest that the experiences I’m having in these days of self-isolation are only the ones I brought with me. Lord, have mercy.