GOD IS GRATITUDE IS GOD

I'm back from a wonderful three days at the Greenbrier. I was invited to attend the 50th anniversary celebration of the association from which I retired. The entire event was spectacular.

I had a plethora of emotions...or as I say to my friends, I had feelings up the gump-stump...nostalgia on seeing so many of my former co-workers, and awe at nature's grandeur surrounding White Sulphur Springs, WV, then at the man-made beauty of the Greenbrier.

The outstanding and continuous feeling, though, was of gratitude. Gratitude that I could experience God's grace on display; gratitude that I could experience feelings of love and appreciation for my three former bosses and for my other former co-workers...and receive their warm feelings of friendship in return. 

God is so good to me. God is so good. God is.

Thank You.

LIVING THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE

I'm reminded this morning that there is an art to letting go. It requires us to be willing to let go of the bad and the good...of our own problems, of our own glories, of our own perceptions, of our own opinions, of our very own selves. The art of letting go lives in the grace of gratitude. "Thank You" to and for everything transforms us.

This is the ultimate "living in the now."

It is also the ultimate living in faith...living and breathing the fact that God does indeed have our back.

Thank You.

RESISTANCE...A DENIAL OF GOD

It seems to me that resistance is simply a denial of God...or a bolstering of one's ego, take your pick.

For instance, I read this morning that "the moment a thing seems wrong to you, or a person's actions to be not what you think they should be, at that moment begins your obligation and responsibility to pray for those wrongs to be righted, or that person to be different."

Need I say that I resisted that mightily? But, instead of just dismissing it as wrong, I studied it, and p.d.q. I saw another way to understand it...I remembered "If the only prayer you ever pray is 'thank you' that will suffice."

So I said to myself, "at that moment begins my obligation and responsibility to pray 'thank you' for those wrongs, for that person."

God can never not know what is right and what is wrong. He can, will and does bless it or fix it as He knows necessary and for the benefit of all concerned. My "thank you" simply affirms that for my ego's edification!

Thank You.

UNDESERVED FORGIVENESS...HEAVEN OR HELL?

What if everybody goes to Heaven?

Can you imagine the embarrassment we'd feel if we were, say, Hitler, in the presence of a loving, forgiving God?

With our past laying right out there, bare, we'd be justifying, excusing, lying...and with every justification, excuse, lie that leapt from our lips, God would know it for what it was, and we'd know God knew. And we'd realize that God accepted us, loved us, forgave us anyway.

Would that be Heaven or ultimate Hell?...the embarrassment of undeserved forgiveness.

All of this came from my remembering this morning my experience with the lady who owned the dog that mauled Ruckus awhile back. I had warned her a week previous to the mauling to put her dog on leash which she clearly had not done since one week later he was running loose and mauled my little guy.

I did not go off on the lady when it happened, did not chew her a new one, and when she brought me the check for his hospitalization, I accepted it with thanks...chilly thanks, but thanks. She was less than gracious and snubs me whenever I see her on the street.

In pondering that this morning, the Hitler-before-God analogy occurred to me, and I considered that as her underlying motivator...embarrassment, plain and simple. True or not, I'm going to accept it as such because that brings me an understanding of her behavior today.

It also proves the saying that we cannot hate anyone if we will bring ourselves to an understanding of them...not justify, but understand. That requires us to give over...detach, let go, divorce ourselves from our own opinion...whereby we find peace.

Thank You.

EXTEND OURSELVES TO BE RID OF SELF

We have to extend ourselves to be rid of self...there is no other way. Hiding, withdrawing, "passing by on the other side of the street," is self in the uppermost part of our mind...self in control.

The balance, the fine line, we must walk in extending ourselves lives in our motive: We extend ourselves for others...not to show forth me, not always to do for you...but to share. To share our lives.

Thank You.

MY GOOD COMES FROM ME

My good does not come to me. My good comes from me. It only appears to come to me.

As I'm journaling this morning, I realize that several wonderful things came about yesterday...it was one thing leading to the other, and I was grateful. That led to my conscious realization that each of these happenings had been the basis of my "bless him/her, change me" prayer that I have prayed for some time now.

As each thing happened yesterday, I thanked God at the miracle of each...for each appeared to come from several different people, no event related to the other.

I realized that this is the road to peace within outward even while it appears it is the outward event that is bringing peace in to me.

It was my need (God's will) to do St. Francis's instructions; i.e., if you are slandered and skewered, honestly and sincerely in your heart bless the slander-er and skewer-er in the name of God. That is all.

All the outward appearing gifts to me start with my prayer for peace, love and joy for others...that I may bring, not that I may get.

I have to keep it simple, so my prayer of "bless her/him, change me" covers all the bases, and keeps me from haranguing God with my perceived needs (my will).

God is so good to me.

Thank You.

YES!

We shall find peace. 

We shall hear angels.

We shall see the sky

Sparkling with diamonds!

-- Chekhov

Thank You.