OUR SACRIFICE IS OUR GAIN

God is able to use unlikely figures who in one way or another are always inept, unprepared, and incapable—powerless in some way. -- Fr Richard Rohr, "Daily Meditation," August 9, 2021

There it is...the very heart of the matter: We know God uses us for his good; we did not know it was because we are inept, unprepared, and incapable...ergo, we have ever prayed to God to make us ept, prepared and capable.

Comes the light, we hear the word: Self-determined objectives are not for us. However, hearing and learning are as different as a kitten at birth and a lion full grown. There's a lot of practice, practice, practice in the mix. 

Paradox alert! Practice...letting go. Practice...detaching. Practice...resist not, welcome. 

Huh? How?

It seems it is all about changing our mind, which we go down fighting to learn we cannot do on self-charge alone. We go back to God, again with a self-determined objective, now praying for him to change our mind. 

It is in that failure that we get the first glimmer...we need an exchanged mind. From our reasoning, rational, material mind to the mind that was in the Buddha, the Christ, Saints Mary, Francis and Claire...and our mentor when we finally listen. 

The second glimmer...this is not a one-shot deal. We are learning life changes. 

We realize a change of mind boils down to a change of opinion; an exchange of mind is to be rocketed into the fourth dimension, then hanging out there are much as possible. Not to put too fine a point on it, that is not all that often. We gratefully accept progress, not perfection, as our new life-goal.

It is that new goal, progress not perfection, that invites evergreen growth. It opens the door for God to come out from within imbuing us with the peace that then passes on to others. 

All spiritual progress requires the sacrifice of self-will. -- Eknath Easwaran, "Words to Live By," July 28

Thank you.