THROUGH LOVE AND LOVE ALONE

We often hear that life is too short. Actually, a life well lived...a turned-over to God and others life...may seem too short, but a life lived with self as our singular focus will seem way too long. We tell our self that our primary concern is for our children, for our family, for our country...for whomever or whatever we believe it to be acceptable to be concerned, or overly concerned, about.

If our goal is still more spiritual growth, if we practice living that goal, we will one day be gifted with the grace of clarity. We will realize that all those concerns are self-centered, all about the singular "me." If we're committed to living a turned-over life, we will heed that moment of reality...our blinding flash of the obvious...and consider opening our hearts to the hard-to-love people in our life.

I once knew a wo/man who died at age 104...on his 52nd birthday. Without realizing it, she prayed for death almost all of her 52 years...bitching every step of the way. His sole concern was self and things of the self. She wasn't happy about a bit of it and sought only to find the person or the reason to blame for her misery. Never once did he look in the mirror and see himself. She was to be pitied but she even made that if not impossible then highly improbable. Thank God for reincarnation so he can keep coming back until she gets it right.

The rest of the story is that we all have that 104-year-old wo/man within us. At any given time, she can and will hitch a ride in our reasoning mind without even asking permission. He'll call himself by our name and commence doing our thinking for us.

It is our job, our obligation, our sacred duty to be open to him and his ways. Welcome her, kiss those bitching thoughts on the lips, hug him and assure her she is on the right track going in the right direction.

That's how she/he/we are going to get life right...through love, just love. There is no other way.

Thank you.