Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Grilling Myself For A Better Me.

It is almost summer time. As Memorial Day draws near, I had better be ready to grill. My family loves grilled food. As the man of the house I take pride in the art of charring steaks, blackening hot dogs and mangling fish, all done on my gas grill.  I knew the grill needed a good cleaning and made that task Sunday’s priority.

A grill should be cleaned after each use and thoroughly at least three times a year. I don’t stick to that schedule. I scrape the hot grates before every use. As for a total cleaning, there is a first time for everything. That’s probably why I had a hard time starting the grill at the end of last summer.

The cleaning took about three hours and was very messy. I used lots of elbow grease and removed lots of gunk.  I found a couple of parts that although functional are worn through and will need to be repaired or replaced. Perhaps had I been more attentive on a regular schedule, these parts would still be almost like new. Then I thought, if this is what’s happening with my grill, what about me? When is the last time I reviewed, reevaluated and readjusted that which makes me, me?

Think about it. If I only engage in self evaluation when I’m having problems “starting up” I’m probably close to losing something dear, or on pace to lose someone important in my life. Perhaps something is broken beyond repair.  If I stick to a regular schedule, I can appraise and adjust prior to the occurrence of a crisis. And if I self examine on a daily basis maybe, just maybe I can keep everything running like new.

Tires, grills and even computer hard drives need scheduled maintenance. Shouldn’t I pay the same attention to my spiritual needs, that which makes me unique?  After all, if I don’t keep myself in good working order, how can I be of service to anyone else? How do you keep your "self" fresh and in good working order?

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