COUNTERINTUITIVE...GOD'S WILL, GOD'S WAY

With these counterintuitive sayings [i.e., the Beatitudes] and others like them, (the Sermon) enrolls us in advanced classes in the school of gratitude.... Here is the deepest lesson of gratitude, then. We are to be grateful not just in the good times, but also in the bad times; to be grateful not just in plenty, but also in need; to maintain thankfulness not just in laughter, but also through tears and sorrow. -- Fr Richard Rohr, Daily Meditations, November 23, 2022

I have long believed that God's will, God's way is counterintuitive. When we start down the path of spiritual growth, we find our self having insights not of our own, of being drawn to authors we never heard of...not resisting learning but not knowing what or why.  

In the early '70s, I was gifted with Joel Goldsmith's "The Art of Meditation." I had never heard of Goldsmith, I'd barely heard of spiritual growth, so it took a long time for me to read the book all the way through. Somehow, I knew that each page was important to me, I just did not know what I did not know. I'd read a page or two, love it, put the book down, come back a month or so later, read a page or two, love it, etc. 

Looking back, I see God in my life...that I kept coming back to read a new page every month or so?Then walking away for another month or so? Then coming back again?  Don't tell me God isn't in my life...and patient.

I have come to see that as my consciousness-raising time...my spiritual education in God's will, God's way being counterintuitive. We need to hold on to our reasoning mind, we're going to need it, but more importantly, we need to open our mind to our consciousness being raised. 

This is not an easy process, nor is it painless...letting go of a self-determined life at first feels like tearing the skin off our bones. Especially when we're not certain sure that this is even a good idea.

The gift of coming into higher consciousness is well hidden and takes time...I thank God every time I recollect that I am on the right road heading in the right direction. 

One thing I have become fairly certain of is this: If I have a terrific idea that will benefit others, with kindness flowing, and will get me a bit of glory into the bargain...it is a self-determined objective and likely will have less than wonderful consequences. If I find an opportunity dropping on me that will benefit others and requires me to put myself out for the others and seems like more work than not...God's will, God's way, count on it.

Counterintuitive...bless it. It is our road to an exchanged mind.

Thank you.

LIVE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS

When you really plug into consciousness, maybe it feels like it’s coming through your brain, but it actually comes through a whole-hearted surrender to the moment—a surrender that encompasses everything and eliminates nothing. -- Fr Richard Rohr, Daily Meditations, September 7, 2014

Geez, to "really plug into consciousness" has been my spiritual goal since I first heard of consciousness. Daunting albeit exhilarating is the inner yes that I am still looking to "plug into consciousness." 

My blinding flashes of the obvious are my proof of purchase so to speak. It's just that my reasoning mind holds dear its pride of ownership. When a BFO slips through momentarily, I feel graced. Grace, we find, doesn't hang around...a quick hug, kiss and off she goes.

I wonder if those fleeting moments of grace aren't the building blocks to consciousness...maybe they are not fleeting so much as just not intellectually present. That's the call that keeps us seeking...kinda like the scent of bacon frying on a winter's morning...what else gets us up and ready to go so quick, fast and in a hurry?

This feels like a breakthrough. I have spent years trying to hold a raised consciousness, but I'm seeing that I wanted to feel 100 percent of the time a surrender that encompasses everything and eliminates nothing. 

A BFO is wonderful, but a flash is a flash, it's not lasting...according to my reasoning mind. Comes the confirmation...those are the building blocks of raised consciousness. They come in a flash, settle in our consciousness and do our thinking for us whenever we give over, give up, give in. Or live by spiritual principles. For the benefit of others.

God loves us sooo much.

Thank you.

THE 23RD PSALM LIVES...THANK YOU

Thus, “mysticism” is simply this awareness of God’s presence in and through and with everything for its well-being…. Curiously, this faith in God can free us to live lives of radical change. ... it is the only thing that can. ... this hope frees us from the pressure of outcomes so that we can add our best efforts to the task at hand. -- Theologian Sallie McFague, Fr Richard's Dail Meditations, January 9, 2024

McFague writes about saving the planet, I am using her words and ascribing them to building hope, faith and trust daily. 

The promise is that we can come to live lives of radical change dependent on our faith in God, and that faith is the only thing that can get us there. We believe that, but it is looking for future examples that cause us pause. A possible bankruptcy, a likely operation, a what-if breakup...and we relearn, God is not in tomorrow's frets...that's faith's job.

It is only by looking back that proof is available to us. Here's the place where we change our mind...from begging, please, please, please, to grateful, thank you. With our first heartfelt thank you we have hope...this hope frees us from the pressure of outcomes...we have begun to build trust.

Although trust is the result of hope believed in, it often goes amiss...a miss by a mile. Our dearest hope maybe God's I have something better for you. That's trust aborning. If we're doing it right, we cry, kvetch and feel right put upon...then God's words, thank you, tumble out of our mouth, and we are righted. 

Looking back we see God's outworking of sticky situations in our life. Even as we realize that and give God all credit, we are looking at the next uh-oh with fear-breathing dread. 

This is where we make our inside change...where we put our eyebrows-up faith to work by bringing it down to our heart, our gut, our soul. We welcome that which we dread as we recall Thou prepares a place before me in the presence of my enemies. Oh! It is God who prepares the dreaded place before us. Ah, the peace...I shall fear no evil for Thou art with me.

The hope we have lies in the radical transcendence of God…. God’s transcendence—God’s power of creative, redeeming, and sustaining love—is closer to us than we are to ourselves. -- Ibid.

Thank you.

AH, OUR TRUE HOPE OF HEAVEN

The only way out and through any dualism, including that between action and contemplation, is a kind of universal forgiveness of reality for being what it is. This becomes the bonding glue of grace which heals all separations that law, religion, or logic can never finally or fully restore. -- Fr Richard Rohr, Daily Meditations, January 8, 2024

Fear. Since we live with it, whether we know it or not, we need to welcome fear. What trips us up is believing what we are afraid of is the problem. It is not. The problem is the gift.

Fear, left unattended, will eat us up...fear, attended by our self alone, will tell us pretty lies and eat us up. 

I have a free-floater going right now. Just yesterday as I was mind-wrestling with my thoughts, secretly praying that the feared problem be lifted, I had a blinding flash of the obvious: This problem is my crucifixion. Jesus had to experience his...after praying that this cup pass but if it be God's will, bring it.

And bring it, He did...which turned out to be the pearl beyond price. A sense of peace enwrapped me! Now, to bring myself back there as needed. 

From my own prior experiences, I know that fear of any problem will keep coming like a blinking sign until, strictly through a Power greater than self, we can hug it and kiss it and tell it we love it...and mean it. 

As Jesus experienced, this will not lift the problem, it will let us walk with God and the problem in peace...loving and laughing.

God's will, God's way is our true hope of Heaven.

Thank you.

ON LOSING TO GET...BY LETTING GOD

Every day Jesus would follow that same rhythm: withdraw for solitude, but then come back to engage by healing, feeding, caring, welcoming, binding up the wounds of this world, and implanting in people a vision of resilience, engaging with a world on fire.  -- CAC teacher Brian McLaren, Fr Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation, January 7, 2024

For many years, I pondered...all but wore my brain out...trying to figure out my part in aiding our broken world. I kinda lived with the inner tormented wail of "What can I do?"  

Most if not all of my friends volunteer...and volunteer at various places meeting a multitude of needs. I do not, and to go a step deeper, I have never. 

One fine day I realized that I am and have ever been available...to listen, to share my experience, to give what I have to give...spiritual aid, I reckon, not to be putting on airs. I saw that I was gifted early on with the unselfed acceptance that my words, my person, give comfort to those who come to me. 

 

Putting words to it diminishes it, but I must be clear: I know and I have ever known this has nothing whatsoever to do with me, the self of me. That's why I have a mentor and freely rely on the sage advice of friends when I'm stuck in the bondage of my reasoning mind.

Most importantly...the largely unrealized fact by the majority of people is that this is what we all have...are all gifted with. We cannot build it, we can only uncover it. It is the Father within.

Let go and let God...let go of self-determined objectives, let God fulfill our needs.

Thank you. 

Thank you.

THE GIFT OF DEMENTIA...JUST SAY THANK YOU

Dementia. Ah, dementia. The new fear for the really grown-up today.  

I was given a spiritual gift in 2023 when I made the decision to let my Father do my thinking and my speaking for me...or more to the point, I decided to try to give my mind and my mouth over to God. 

I shared this with some friends, and we have decided that if dementia is to be ours, that might be the best way to go. We would hope to meet it with full-out trust in the Father within...I am that I am.

Our reasoning mind may have already passed us on to the next level of consciousness for that is all dementia is, the next level of consciousness. Here, too, free will reigns...the choice: We can go with mindlessness, or we can trust that the Father within is now doing our thinking, speaking for us.

I had a major incident yesterday that I did not recognize as the new behavior...it simply felt like a very embarrassing public mistake. That, I'm guessing, is going to be the hardest part of this new way...letting go of egoic embarrassment by accepting that was God in charge. No shame attaches, just thank you.

Lesson learned: If it doesn't feel like a mistake, I don't notice it until sometime later, maybe as I look over my day and stumble over a deeper thought I'd expressed. I'm heading in the right direction...may get there three days after I'm dead. 

Trust. Love and laugh. 

Thank you. 

LIVING LOVINGKINDNESS, II

[The following is a reprint of my blog of December 22, 2008.]

I was thinking this morning of lovingkindness, and what a peaceful word that is.

Then I thought simply of kindness, and a little prayer started to form, in effect asking for more kindness. Before the prayer formed, the answer was there…I already have all the kindness there is to have…all I need do is show it, put it out there, use it.

This is not new information, of course. I learned long ago that as long as I keep asking to be kinder, more loving, more generous, less judgmental…all the goodies…the more I deny the kindness I have, the love I am already filled with, and so forth.

The real problem is the fool-myself Catch-22…I feel downright righteous about asking for all these fine-sounding, God-approved things, totally ignoring the fact that all that I seek was bestowed in me before conception.

It is the act of giving over to another, in lovingkindness, that primes the pump for all the goodies to flow. And it is the lovingkindness that requires still more spiritual growth. My human nature, my ego-victory mind, does not give over just because I want to. To give over by keeping my mouth shut (and thinking judgmental thoughts) is just breeding a resentment.

Living lovingkindness, then, is the goal.

Thank you.