Wee, it's a Wii!

This past Wednesday Melissa and I stopped in at our friends' home for dinner. While there, I was introduced to the Nintendo Wii, which I had never before played. The evening grew late, Melissa took baby Sarah home and off to bed, yet I played on, bum leg and all. Below is an article I wrote for the chaplain’s corner in the base newspaper that chronicles my experience. Do you think that Melissa will let me buy a Wii of my own now that I’ve turned it into a religious symbol?

About a month ago, I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee to clear out some excess tissue and fluid. A few weeks after the surgery, I finally ditched the crutches and began walking again, so the past few days have been amusing for my friends as they watch me limp around awkwardly. Recently, I had dinner at a friend’s house and he introduced me to Wii Fit. I’ve not played on Nintendo’s newest gaming machine before, so I excitedly, though gingerly, joined in a friendly competition. The game soon labeled me as “unbalanced” after I’d failed to hula-hoop properly.

I’m not the most graceful, well-balanced guy even when I have two healthy legs, so my less-than-stellar record on Wii Fit did not surprise me. However, it did get me to thinking: how balanced am I in the rest of my life? As my battalion gets ready to step out the door on deployment, am I balancing work and family properly? Physically, am I getting enough exercise? Am I balancing my sweet-tooth with my desire to lose weight? Spiritually, am I spending enough time in prayer and meditation before I start working each day? Or am I letting the cares of this world overwhelm me?

In today’s world, it’s easy for all of us to become unbalanced. I encourage all of us to refocus and rediscover our center. For me, that center is my relationship with God. I know that if I spend time in prayer and meditation each day, I am less angry, stressed, bitter and burned-out. I know that if I am a godly, loving husband and block out time for my family, I don’t resent working longer hours before deployment. I know that if I take care of the body God has gifted me with (bum knee and all) and go out for a run; I’ll be less tempted by Oreos and cheddar sour cream potato chips. Your center may be different than mine. Whatever or whomever your center is though, I encourage you take time this week to reconnect to it and remind yourself that you are a human being in need of grace and a grounded center. May God bless you on your journey!