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Today as I sit in my office, I hear the rhythmic pattern of the rain water trickling down the inside of a downspout.  This morning has consisted of a light, gentle rain.  So the combination of seeing the falling rain droplets and hearing the movement of water through the drain spout, I am very conscious of rhythm.  I am probably especially attuned to rhythmic sounds since I was a percussionist during my days in the school bands.

This focus on rhythm has caused me to think about the rhythms of life this morning.  As an old song states in its lyrics, “And the beat goes on.”  Life has a rhythm and specific beats  that move us along.  If we take the time to be quiet, we can hear that rhythm.  As we open our eyes to the events around us, we can see that rhythm.  It invades all aspects of our lives.  There is rhythm in our personal lives.  There is a rhythm to our professional lives as well.

I think that there are three possible responses to the rhythm of life.  The first is to let it sooth us into just going along with the motions.  This response is seen in individuals who take hold of the routine of daily life and remain in that routine no matter what else is occurring around them.  They seem to have more a robotic approach to life.

The second response is one of battle.  This response is when an individual constantly tries to resist the rhythm of life.  It would be like a member of the marching band attempting to march in a different pattern than what the drum line is creating in their cadence.  This response will appear awkward and maybe even a bit disturbing.  People around this type of individual response will often become frustrated with the individual.

The third response is one of gaining energy from the rhythm.  A person who has this response first is aware that there is a rhythm of life.  Then the individual uses that rhythm to energized them as they move forward.  They will often make their own mark on the rhythm and may even adjust the pattern of the rhythm.  Yet they do not let the rhythm control them or lull them into a mindless movement.  They also do not fight the rhythm.  The person instead takes ownership of the rhythm and even some control of it.

The rhythm of life – such a gift for us to do something with in life.