I am reminded this morning of a recent blinding flash of the obvious: It is by self-forgetting that we get safely ashore...self-forgetting in the form of our thank you prayer.
Background: I had an encounter on a city bus some 35 or 40 years ago. There was a very drunk old grizzled man who came up to me and started shouting all manner of ugly, filthy, lascivious remarks at me...and nobody, not the bus driver nor any passenger, acted as if they heard anything but crickets.
I was fairly new in my spiritual studying, but I had learned the principle of resist not evil. So I mentally ran through all that might happen if I resisted him...with the end result being that nothing I could do would change the situation without making it worse.
I did nothing but think thoughts of peace, and I mentally shot a "Bless you" to him as I got off the bus...and I felt right in my heart. That since has been my go-to experience when I am faced with a less-than-wonderful situation.
Moving up to today, I am receiving an ongoing petty offense that is identical to another petty offense I received from another party recently. I See Me is gearing up...there are no petty offenses when I See Me, there are only capital offenses.
Comes now another BFO: For this I go into my quiet time every morning. For this I learn that I am my only problem. For this I know, when I am offended, the other is the innocent party...it is my reaction no matter what the other's intentional or unintentional offense may be to my mind. For this I resist not evil.
I got my marching orders...Forward, March! Silently shouting thank you every step of the way. And if I fail? God'll whisper, "May I hear a thank you?"
God loves me so much.
Thank you.
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