If you are willing to bear serenely the trial of being displeasing to yourself, you will be for [God] a pleasant place of shelter. —St. Thérèse of Lisieux
I have been pondering that quote for a while now. What I've found is to ponder without taking positive or selfless action is to worry. To worry without taking selfless action is to birth a resentment.
I proposed a change in a situation some time ago. The change was not taken all that seriously...so dropped. I later learned it was dropped into another's discussions and dropped less than lovingly...with laughter but no love shall we say.
My spiritual goal has been to learn how to do the Beatitude Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely....
My "how to" has been to shuck down "revile" and "persecute," substituting "gossip about me," then aim for responding not at all, as in, say not a word to or about it to anyone.
Great gettin' up morning!...the realization is dawning that to let go with love is to find love in...not resist...our own original actions, not others' reactions. To change no part of our memory about our actions or our intentions. Until we can do that, their reaction will hold us in thrall.
Blinding flash of the obvious: To let go with love (not resist) their interpretation of what was proposed, "saying nothing...responding not at all " is a self-determined objective, likely to build resentment within.
It is faith in the Father that allows us to accept our own part in it...to accept as good, without malice, not currying favor. Then without a thought we can accept with love...not resist...their reactions and retelling.
None of which is doable by a self-determined objective alone; it is, however, a self-determined objective that points the way. So, thank you there, too.
Until I recognize a U-bie in my path, I'll keep heading forward, relying on the Father by doing Our thing. There. I take that to be for [God] a pleasant place of shelter.
Thank you.
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