Desiring Temperance

My eldest invited us to an impromptu piano concert last night.  Half way through the little one wanted to play something. Then they decided I better play something as well. It's been awhile since I sat at the piano bench. But I hauled out my old books and complied.  It made me happy. I'd forgotten.  

When I played Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring my heart ached.  I wanted so to be able to play it correctly. The few phrases which were correct made me want to practice. It made me want to hear it played expertly. So this morning on the way to work I blasted Josh Groban's version of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.  

On my desk at work is a jar full of roses. I bought them at the grocery store.  Just because they were beautiful. And on sale. They make my heart ache in the same way playing Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring does.  

I think what's really happening is my soul is recognizing we were created for more than our consumer focused, politically divisive, sexually exploiting, death obsessed and frenzied distraction culture. I think we're created for more than what my phone thinks is important.  I think we're created for more than what the very talented marketers at Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook think is important. 

Chapter two in KS Prior's new book "On Reading Well" is about the virtue of temperance.  Temperance is "the virtue that inclines us to desire and enjoy pleasures well. It helps us to desire pleasures in a reasonable manner, desiring them neither too much nor too little, the virtuous mean between the vices of self-indulgence and insensibility".  The virtue is about balance.  

When I signed up for SeptemberJanuary to focus on my blog my kids were sad.  Because I don't do balance very well. So I signed up anyway but made tracking my own health, connecting with my family and Quirky Faith a three pronged goal.  I'm practicing balance.  It has been refreshing. 

In October I'm going to be working my way through Catherine Price's book "How to Break Up With Your Phone".   I read the first half this past weekend.  She convinced me I need to address my phone usage.  What I loved about this book is it does not think throwing out the phone is the solution. Nor does it think shutting down all your social media accounts is the solution.  It teaches balance.  Temperance.   If you are interested in joining in send me an email. 

Pleasures are not bad. We were created for beauty, for depth, and for joy. My phone isn't bad either. I love the ways I can connect with people. I love the camera and music and calendar and occasional game. What is bad is when this good thing takes over and I miss out on piano and flowers and my children's smile.  I miss the things that make life good. And my heart aches when I notice.   

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. - Howard Thurman