Today, let go of blaming particular individuals. People are more complex than we realize, with so many forces shaping them (history, education, culture, family, peers, religion, biology, memories, emotions). This does not mean that we do not take a stand for justice or our highest understanding, but it does mean letting go of blaming, gossiping, and obsessing over other's actions. Today, ask and listen for wisdom, strength, and kindness in handling the conflicts in our lives.
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The lyrics of a hymn by Anna Waring, 1850:
In heav'nly love abiding No change my heart shall fear; And safe is such confiding, For nothing changes here. The storm may roar without me, My heart may low be laid, But God is round about me, And can I be dismayed? Today, release your fear of change and know your feet stand on a steady, spiritual foundation. Today, feel the presence of Truth, revealing to you the depth of beauty, love, and goodness available to you. Today, feel the presence of Truth revealing places of dishonesty or delusion in yourself or others. This Truth is an active power whose authority comes from Love.
Buddhists often do lovingkindness meditation for themselves and others. Today, offer a blessing to yourself. Wish and pray for yourself, "May you be happy, may you be well, may you be free from suffering." Add whatever blessings suit your day. "May you be brave, may you be awake, may you be calm in the storm." Stay with the blessing until you feel it permeate your being.
Today, if you find yourself ruminating over some problem you don't know how to fix, some personal flaw you don't know how to change - and thinking is not leading to solutions - pause to feel the presence of the Great Kindness. Feel Love's delight in you. Feel Love's patience with you. Feel Love's deep affection for all parties. Rest in this awareness for as long as possible.
When Jesus was baptized, the spirit of God settled on him like a dove and voiced, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased." Today, feel that same love and blessing settling on you: "You are my beloved daughter / son in whom I am well pleased." Accept this divine affirmation and approval and affection.
Today, know that Love is your teacher, your travel agent, your social planner, your manager, your therapist, your personal trainer, your financial advisor, your friend. Listen for Love's guidance moment to moment. Give up opinions, outlines, and fears. Trust that you are in good hands.
From Wayne Muller's book Sabbath:
"If we worry we are not good or whole inside, we will be reluctant to stop and rest, afraid we will find a lurking emptiness, a terrible, aching void . . . If we are terrified of what we will find in rest, we will refuse to look up from our work, refuse to stop moving. We quickly fill in the blanks on our calendar with tasks, accomplishments, errands, things to be done--anything to fill the time and empty space. But this emptiness has nothing at all to do with our value or our worth. All life has emptiness at it's core; it is the quiet hollow reed through which the wind of God blows and makes the music that is our life. Without that emptiness, we are clogged and unable to give birth to music, love, or kindness." Our busy, worrying, planning, overactive minds are not always an accurate judge of our lives our circumstances. In fact, sometimes our busy-worrying-planning-overactive minds are hiding some emotion or wisdom we need to acknowledge. Today, when your minds seems particularly busy, pause for a moment, breathe, let your plans and opinions go, and feel the stable foundation of Love under your feet, the presence of a Mind that knows more than your mind.
Jesus' Easter resurrection from the dead is a powerful symbol of the resurrection that can occur in our lives, bodies, relationships, organizations, landscapes, nations . . . Today, feel Love and Truth as an active power that brings rest, resurrection, restoration, renewal, health and wholeness.
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AuthorTarn Wilson is the author of the memoir The Slow Farm and numerous essays. You may read more of her work at tarnwilson.com. Archives
September 2020
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