ON LIVING THE UNSELFED WAY

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for Thou art with me. --  Psalm 23:4 

 

There it is, the promise that we will walk through feelings of despair, defeat, depression...if we're doing it right. That is precisely how, not to mention why, we build faith in our Father, trust in the Lord, our Shepherd. 

It is painful to my soul how many of us believe, albeit usually unaware, that anytime we are feeling less than our idea of spiritually fit, we are in spiritual trouble, or are just plain wrong. Neither supposition is even close to true.  

It's the like principles of when, not if, wrong and the though I walk  through the valley of the shadow of death that tell the tale. Face it, it is the fear factor that stalls us...fear of doing "it" wrong or not doing it right, more like. What we must needs accept is that we will feel fear...that is the If We Are Doing It Right principle. 

What else turns us to God faster than fear? A recent example of my own is feeling fear of depression, and hitting my knees with my thank you prayer. I have not been on my knees in a way long time, but that's how we learn to feel the fear and welcome it...trusting that fear is God calling us home. 

We do not learn to trust after the fact. The essence of our thank you prayer is trust in God that all is well before we gut-bucket know all is well...reasoning mind can play no part in that. 

This is why we make ourself available to a power greater than ourself on a daily basis...so we can continue to learn an unselfed way of life through personal experience. An unselfed way of life is based on the nonresistance of thank you, on give over, give up, give in...on trust.

As a learning tool, with no expectations of attaining this in my lifetime, I am in awe of an example of Saint Francis' teaching: We are stranded out in a sleet storm, lost, weary, hungry and afraid, and we come to an apparently friendly home. We knock on the door with hope in our heart, and we are met with a punch in the eye and curses to get ourself gone. If we can say with love in our heart, 'Bless you in the name of the Father,' then we shall have found perfect peace. 

Admittedly, few of us even have the want-to for that. But we can be pleased...surprised and pleased...that we stand in awe of Francis' belief. 

Maybe because of his belief, we can actually take baby steps toward giving love to our own less-than-lovable foe...our doppelgänger in truth.

Thank you.