THE COSMIC WONDER OF "THANK YOU"

 [The following was previously run in my blog of September 2, 2009.]

Grant what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt. -- Saint Augustine

This is a wonderful reminder to me of the teaching that God performs that which is given me to do…that He goes before me to make the crooked places straight.

For me, the hardest part in living by spiritual principles has been the inside change…learning to let God remove my defects of character rather than working to remove them myself (which consisted primarily of me worrying about it).

I’ve heard it said a defect of character is that which I find useful and others find irritating.

I find that trying to remove my own defects of character through self-will alone really is like trying to prove a negative…in short, impossible. The resistance to the defect acts, in effect, as a nutrient…the more attention I give it, positive or negative, the more it grows.
  

That’s the cosmic wonder of “Thank You”…when I find myself in the midst of a defect of character, I’ve learned to just shoot a “Thank You” and relax. It’s not mine to worry about. It is mine to see clearly…to see exactly how it is negatively impacting me and those about me, because there is the source of all my woes.

That’s when the above quotes warm my heart, give me comfort, and let me let go.

Thank You.

WHEN SMART ISN'T SO MUCH

In Fr. Richard Rohr's today's “Daily Meditation" on paradox, he quotes a teaching of St. Paul. Rohr writes, if this is true, "then everything is a disguise: weakness is really strength, wisdom is really foolishness, death is really life, matter is really spirit, religion is often slavery, and sin itself is actually the trap door into salvation.”

This is exciting to me because of my blinding flash which I blogged about on September 20, 2010. The thought given me then was: What if all I see in my reasoning-mind world is a mirror image of God’s world…thus, left is right, bad is good, weak is strong, smart isn’t, etc.

This explains the experience that I'm guessing we've all had, i.e., the dread of a future happening that turned out to be for our best and/or the anticipation of a wonderful something that, when it arrived, was disappointing...and then some.

Rohr’s description of St. Paul’s teaching encourages me to ponder again and deeper: what if my so-called troubles are simply the result of my trying to fix what I perceive as “bad” or trying to cling to that which I perceive as “good.” 

Again I learn the value of keeping an open mind, of giving myself permission to be neither right nor wrong...yet. To actively sit and wait on the Lord. 

This surely gives impetus to acceptance as the answer…no matter the question.

Thank You.

IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE

What if?

In the beginning, there was God, good, and from that place of good we each formed and drifted forth, landing hither, thither and yon...coming together, splitting off, growing, passing away, ever evolving.

Until...here we are today...each of us in all the world having that inner core, that pinpoint of good, God. Each of us being all the Hitlers, all the Mother Teresas, all our personal butt pains and BFFs. And the journey for each of us is to return to that inner core, God, arriving there free of blame, shame, hate or indifference.

We really would only be able to tend to self...to concern ourselves with what we each were personally showing forth...thinking, feeling, doing and being. Paradoxically, we each would need to be personally concerned with those with whom we shared space in this world in order to maintain reasonable order on our return trip to God. Which, of course, is all about love.

Love your God with all your heart, soul, body and brains, and love your neighbor as yourself. And here's me, starting out thinking I had an original concept.

Thank You.

DON'T TELL IT...BE IT

I've been pondering what steps I can take toward living the golden rule...what small steps nearer to  people I'd rather not be close to.

Recently, I shared with some friends about treating a person (whom I find irritating) with simple courtesy. Unfortunately, I'd previously run my mouth...a lot...about what a fraud this person was, and my friends had completely agreed about her. This time, as I shared, I had the creepiest feeling that I was parading myself as holier-than-thou.

Once again, I learn the same-old-same-old...whatever you are, or are striving to become, the more you tell people that, the less it appears to be true. When they can see it in you without your talking about it, then it will be true.

My golden rule has been, and I suspect is going to remain, "Don't be as nasty as you want to be." Which is kinda hard to brag about.

Thank You.

IT COMES TO US BY OUR INVITATION ONLY

Life is all about taking responsibility for what comes to us, not being overly concerned with what flows from us. It is a paradox...but then isn't all spiritual growth a paradox?

If we will live the very first spiritual principle, the Golden Rule, we will never again need be overly concerned with what flows from us. Plus, we will be able to understand that which comes to us comes by our invitation only, which is the principle behind the truth that when someone steps on our toes, seemingly without provocation, invariably we will find that we have made a decision based on self that later placed us in a position to be hurt. That's the nut. That's how, when and where we start taking responsibility for what comes to us.

The trick is to not get wrapped up in blame and shame...wrong road, danger, detour! Blame and shame are two emotive feelings that have no basis in truth...they are like the old rocking chair syndrome where we just sit, rock and think, "Look at me, I'm really traveling." No we're not...that's the road to nowhere, or self-hate more like.

When we can give up our belief that we must protect ourselves, then our inner growth can begin. We cannot give up the idea that we must be our own protection without having accepted the truth that God within/without has our back, knows our needs, has already intervened in our life in our behalf...and before we ever knew we needed the intervention.

"He performs that which is given me to do."

"He goes before me to make the crooked places straight."

We need to repeat those two sentences until they sing in our Soul...for they work, and so does He.

Thank You.

IF ONLY I HAD LISTENED....

The importance of listening from the novelty song, "It Pays to Listen," by Ronnie Barker, partially quoted below:

The fact is I must mention cause I didn't pay attention

When the angels were a handin' round the parts

When the angels gave out brains, I thought that they said trains
And I missed mine as I usually do

When they handed out the eyes, I thought that they said ties
And I asked for one of brown and one of blue

When they passed out the chins, I thought that they said gins
And I ordered a double one for me

When they gave out the noses, I thought that they said roses
And I chose a great big red one as you see.

Oh what a mess I'm in

Oh what a mess I'm in

If only I had listened to them angels when they spoke

I would not be in the mess that I am in

Thank You.

IN GOD'S GOOD TIME

New discovery again. Meaning I have realized this about myself before, but it feels like a brand new insight. That happens when we do nothing about that which we find...it keeps coming back until we get it right.

I've got a couple of people-puzzlers in my life that I am less than enchanted with. I've decided to let God give me the quiet word on handling them.

When my mind is free of thoughts about either of these, I feel no special interest in which way they turn out. However, when I just touch either with a “what if?” thought, as in, “what if I did this or that?,” I can feel the agitation roiling, urging me to do something, right now, and my immediate next thought is “I know what I can do….”

New/old discovery:  I'd rather fix it p.d.q., chancing breaking it completely, than sit and wait on the Lord who, in my less than humble opinion, is a drag-foot. My way is quick, usually dirty, and utterly self-centered, but quick swings the hammer.

It is too clear that I would rather risk a friendship than wait on God's perfect outworking…even when I know that God’s perfect outworking would benefit both of us. Not because I want to get my way, but because I don’t want to wait...even for God's good.

That is right ugly. But, if I know nothing else, I do know it will not change until I air it for me to see. Can't own it till I see it, can't get shut of it till I own it. 

Thank You.