The student wanted to learn to meditate.
The pastor taught him the basics. Breathe, and concentrate on your breathing. Allow your mind to become quiet. Be mindful of how your body feels. Focus on how you feel in the moment, allowing the past and the future to not matter so much. Visualize stress leaving you, and God’s love filling you.
The student assumed a meditative posture and started.
After three minutes, the pastor flicked the student on the ear.
“Hey, what did you do that for?”
“Sorry, you failed this one. Try again,” the pastor answered.
The student took a few deep breaths and began to meditate. The pastor began coughing loudly, making all kinds of racket.
“Could you please leave the room? I’m trying to meditate here.”
“Sorry, you failed this one, too. Try again,” the pastor replied.
The student took a few more deep breaths, closed his eyes, and began to meditate. The pastor dropped a book loudly, and the student kept meditating. The pastor tousled the student’s hair, and the student kept meditating. The pastor called out the student’s name, and the student kept meditating.
“Now he’s getting somewhere,” the pastor thought to herself.
Joy in a Minor Key 