Newfound Mindfulness

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Christina

There was a faint stench of sweat in the air, a dampness that permeated throughout. The atmosphere felt heavy: in fact, my chest heaved up and down just to fill my lungs. And with every inhale, I could sense that the air was filled with a distinct saltiness that you could almost taste.

I could hear that the whirling fans were madly operating above: their efforts, ultimately, futile. I was still sweating profusely, and it was evident that the peak of summer had arrived as the rising temperatures were proof enough.

Nevertheless, even amidst the sweltering heat, tightly pressed among others, I felt an oddly comforting sense of solidarity. Standing there, shoulder to shoulder, swaying side to side, I was living in the present.

This was the first church service I had ever attended, and this memory still graces my mind to this day.

I recall singing hymns, annotating my dense bible, and bowing my head in unison with others to pray, marking the completion of our pastor’s sermon. I listened intently, my eyes never once leaving the pulpit, reluctant to even blink since I was afraid I was going to miss too much.

That fateful day, I vividly remember discussing Matthew 7:24, “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” This short verse alone would propel me towards forging a meaningful relationship with God and with all of the people that surround me. 

Moving on from that day forward, I attained a sort of clarity that’s hard to explain because I don’t fully understand it myself. Nonetheless, I believe this clarity can be attributed to my encounter with a sudden, newfound mindfulness that I lacked before. I became conscious of terms like faith and trust, words that I shied away from before. I became conscious of the presence of an omniscient figure, of the fellowship of a congregation.

And so, when I look back, the voice of the pastor still rings in my ears, encouraging me to be like the wise man who built his house on the rock, to never falter in stride since my foundation is strong. And now, the only response that comes to my mind is amen.

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