ora et labora

"cutting wood, clearing ground, cutting grass, cooking soup, drinking fruit juice, sweating, washing, making fire, smelling smoke, sweeping, etc. This is religion. The further one gets away from this, the more one sinks in the mud of words and gestures." Thomas Merton, in a letter emphasizing his view of work and it's prayerful value.
Most of you know how much I enjoy my work both at my office and at home. Today I did go to work after my chemo session as I felt OK and why not get something done. My coworkers and my clients were very welcoming and warm toward me, but something seems different. We did the right things for the right reasons and I felt satisfied. After this week I will take time off on my "chemo weeks" and just go home and smell smoke or cook soup. On the off weeks my schedule will be more full and we can get back to a more normal feeling of what some might call "spiritual satisfaction". This I am looking forward to.
Going to bed, Gary