Life's Challenges: How to stay in the river?

One vital piece that Dominicans commit themselves to is ‘assiduous study’.  My, isn’t that word ‘assiduous’ strong and a mouthful?  Assiduous by way of ‘Bing’ means  ‘Constant in application or attention’. 

Part of my own growth consists of regular attendance at twelve step meetings.  There I keep learning about my truth and others.  What I do know is that to know and honor Truth I need to be constant in my practice.  Another way to state this is to look at my ‘praxis’ and take time to see if I am assiduous.  At the end of our 12 step meeting we gather in a circle, hold hands and say a prayer.  We end this prayer with a short phrase:  ‘keep coming back’.  Of late I have found this to be a mantra for me.  Yes, keep coming back to attending to God’s presence in and around me.  This is our real work of growing in God’s image and likeness.  Margaret Wheatley states: ‘we’re fully in the river learning how to keep our heads above water.’  Assiduous “yes,” learning to savor ‘Truth’, the Living Water, the River of Life.  I do this by attending to daily prayer and meditation, journaling. spiritual reading.  How do you stay in the river and kepp coming back?

K.C. Young, OP

Kirkland, Washington