Towards greater peace of mind

The circumstances of our lives are what they are, but there is a wide range of different ways that we can experience or relate to those circumstances. If, for example, we believe that all things are in God’s hands and that He is with us in all things, we are able to remain relatively calm even in the midst of turmoil. Let me give you an example:

A couple of weeks ago I was invited out to lunch by a friend I haven’t seen in a while. I was looking forward to the occasion. But, alas! That morning it started to snow and as the day went on the snow kept getting worse. We had to cancel our luncheon and arrange for a rain-check.

When I was a younger man, I would have been angry at the snow, and angry at my fate. A barrage of negative thoughts would be passing through my mind, and as the day went on, the commentary about my disappointment would have ruined my mood and spoiled any possibility that something good would have come along later in the day. The stronger and more virulent the commentary, the lower my mood.

But now, I look at events differently. It was snowing. We couldn’t go to lunch. God sent the disappointment and I have learned through experience that the best thing to do is simply to surrender to the disappointment and move on. And so I did. End of story. Very little commentary.

When I meditated that evening, the thought about the cancelled luncheon came up as a distraction. I noticed it, returned my attention to my breathing and to the Jesus Prayer, and let the thought pass through me without attaching any commentary at all to it. And the meditation continued. As thoughts or emotions came up, I would let them pass through. If I began commenting about the thoughts or feelings, as soon as I noticed what I was doing, I would stop commenting and return my attention to my breathing. Most of the time the thoughts and emotions would pass.

The moral of the story is that we will always have thoughts and feelings about things that happen in our lives. That isn’t going to change. But what we do with them does change as we grow and evolve. As Martin Laird says, “thoughts and feelings continue to come and go, but our relationship with them changes.” (A Sunlit Absence, p. 18) He continues: “The external circumstances of our lives continue to be whatever they happen to be at any given moment, but now we experience these circumstances differently. (p. 21)

We had lunch a week later and it was a wonderful experience.

God bless you.

It doesn't all depend on you.

God created everything. God is in everything. God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—is in everything. God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—is in you and me. At all times.

In our scattered lives, we often forget this, lose touch with it, block it out or even ignore it. But God doesn’t block us out. “I am with you always,” says Jesus, “until the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20)

Oh, if we could only just simply rest in that reality, be in touch with Father, Son and Holy Spirit within us and rest there with eyes closed even just for a moment or a minute. If only we could consciously draw on the strength and courage and power that is already within us. After all, as St. Paul wrote to Timothy, “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim 1:8)

Give everything over to that spirit. Stop trying to make things work on your own. At all time, it is God working within you that brings your projects, your wishes, your hopes and dreams to reality if they are part of His plan for you. And if they are not? Well then, wait until his plan is revealed to you in the ordinary circumstances of your life.

One of the most wonderful things about Christianity is that we never have to be concerned that everything counts on us alone. When I began writing this reflection, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to write about. But then an inspiration was given to me, and guided my fingers line by line as I made my way down the page. Thanks be to God alone.

Take time today to rest in the Presence, to listen to His promptings, to let Him tell you what to say, or do, or even think thoughts that lie buried deep underneath the usual ordinary chatter that goes on in your mind.

And then give thanks. God bless you.

Losing control

Today we look at the first of the twelve “Signs that you are spiritually awakening” which was posted yesterday. Notice that I just used the present tense—you are spiritually awakening—rather than the past tense—you have had a spiritual awakening. The awakening itself is a process that takes time. What these twelve items suggest is what we discover happening in our lives if we are consciously practicing habits of prayer, mind and spirit that do produce a gradual spiritual awakening in us. After all, we are all in via, “on the way.” So here is the first of the list:

1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than to make things happen.

It takes so much work, so much energy, so much preoccupation for us to serve the illusion that we are in control of what happens in our lives, or that we can exercise control to make sure that something we want happens.

 And more often than not, our efforts don’t produce the effect we wanted them to produce. Something happens. Something gets in the way. Someone foils our plans, often unwittingly. And yet, we continue to try, because the need to control things is an instinctive urge that we are born with. And for many, that need takes over and the illusion that we are, indeed, in control, runs our lives.

Consider King Herod and his reaction when he finds out that a great king has been born in Bethlehem. Right away, he sets up his program of control: the Magi are to report back to him after they have found the Christ Child, and then he will put his henchmen to work. But things don’t turn out that way, and Herod, enraged, orders the murder of all male children under the age of 2. And yet, even this doesn’t do the trick.

The Good News of the story revolves around the mysterious: angels and dreams. Joseph is warned in a dream to take his family to Egypt. The Magi are told in a dream to take a different route home to avoid Herod putting his plan into action. Herod, at last, is not in control; God is. But because of Herod’s rage, thousands of families are made to suffer.

So, with all this in mind, I have a few questions for you:

·         Do you have any programs in place to control what is happening in your life? Are you really in charge? How often to your programs succeed? And what is it costing you to live your life this way? And how are others made to suffer because of your imaginary sense of control?

·         Have you ever noticed that many if not most of the wonderful things that have happened in your life are not the result of your planning or plotting, but rather happen, it seems, by accident (or we might say, by Providence)?

·         Have you learned yet that the issues you are most concerned about, or most anxious about, tend to work themselves out in unexpected and often wonderful ways once we have let go of our desire to control and rather simply put things “in the hand of God”?

It takes practice. It takes thought. It takes prayer, especially meditation or contemplative prayer.

Here is a simple mediation for those who have never done it before: Close your eyes and pay attention to your breathing without controlling it. As you exhale, let go of your urge to control. As you inhale, inhale your faith that God is working things out. If you’d like, as you exhale, you might think the words “into your hands, O Lord,” and as you inhale, “Lord, increase my faith.”  Or else simply follow your breath and remain without words. If you’ve never done this before, try it for a minute or 2.

The motherly God

We continue with a prayerful reading of The Book of Consolation (Isaiah 40-53):

On the one hand, God is all powerful and mighty, while at the same time, when dealing with the meek and helpless, he is full of compassion. Is 40:10-11.

Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him and his recompense before him.

Like a shepherd, he feeds his flock;

in his arms he gathers the lambs,

Carrying them in his arms (bosom),

and gently lead those that are with young (leading the ewes with care).

Here is a study in contrasts, reminding us that we cannot reduce our understanding of God to only one dimension. This God is the almighty Ruler bringing justice and judgment. And yet, at the same time, he is gentle as any mother suckling her young.

The passage speaks of the “flock,” the “lambs” and “the ewes.” These are the ones who are the recipients of God’s motherly kindness.

Can you become a sheep? Can you put aside your human pride and vainglory? Can you surrender any claims you have to power, or the instinctual drive to control things? Can you be gentle, and docile as a sheep of the flock? Can you surrender yourself when he bends to lift you to his shoulders? Can you admit your own constant need to be carried by One stronger than you? Can you allow yourself to be gently led?

These are the dispositions needed so that we can experience the compassion and care of an almighty God and Father (and mother).

Let.him.carry.you.in.his.arms.

Blessed Advent to you.

Some things are left to be mysteries.

   There are several issues going on in my life that I simply don't understand. There are several issues going on in my life that don't make any sense to me at all. And decisions have been made in some matters that I disagree with, sometimes strongly. Grrrrr. . . . 
   I'll bet you can say the same thing. And I wouldn't be surprised if you, like me, have some theories about why these things are the way they are. But theories are not facts, and sometimes I forget that.
   I have learned after years of struggle, that I simply have to "let them be," recognize and admit that they are beyond my grasp at the moment, and surrender them until God chooses to enlighten me.

   This has brought me not a small measure of peace. I'm not saying I am able to do it all the time, but when I do, I am at peace.

   How about you?