In her book Hallelujah Anyway, Anne Lamott shares a favorite line from her priest friend Terry: "Don't try harder - resist less." Let go of your resistance, your procrastination. Face whatever in your life needs attention. Stop pushing away others love and affection for you. Stop resisting sensible answers and stop justifying not making changes you need to make. Accept Love's love pouring over you like a waterfall.
Some of us believe that we are being unselfish and loving by giving all our attention to others and little to ourselves. While we can be inspired to service by real love and generosity, sometimes our minds use other-focused-ness as a trick to avoid some difficult areas in our lives or natures. Today know that attending to your own challenges is true maturity and important ground for learning more about Love.
In her book Hallelujah Anyway, Anne Lamott shares a favorite line from her priest friend Terry: "Don't try harder - resist less." Let go of your resistance, your procrastination. Face whatever in your life needs attention. Stop pushing away others love and affection for you. Stop resisting sensible answers and stop justifying not making changes you need to make. Accept Love's love pouring over you like a waterfall.
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In the book of Romans, Paul entreats: "Let us put on the armor of light."
Today, know yourself as held in Love's light. This light defends you from the crazy - in yourself and others - defends you from insecurity and willfulness and delusion. It is a protection. It illuminates the truth. It illuminates the way you should go. Today, feel that you are held in a sphere of Love. It surrounds you with comfort and safety - physically, mentally, emotionally. Today, live in that sphere. If it helps, visualize it.
In Anne Lamott's book Hallelujah Anyway, she shares a quote from her friend Mark Yaconelli, from a letter he wrote to Lamott's Sunday School class: "Anything that leaves you more fearful, more isolated, more disconnected from other people, more full of judgment or self-hatred, is not of God, does not follow the Rule of Love - and you should stop doing it."
Today, also know that real love requires that we slow down, really listen to others with an open heart, and not try to ease our own worry by attempting to fix other people's problems in a rushed and perfunctory way. Instead, be present with others and know they need your companionship, your love, your well-wishing, your empathy, your trust in them more than they need your problem-solving. Today, feel and know that Love welcomes you. You are invited. You belong. Handle even the slightest feeling of exclusion with this awareness. Be certain.
Know this divine welcome and belonging for others, too. With this knowing, you can transform atmospheres in which people, even subtly, rank or exclude. Love gives you the power and authority and confidence to do this. We have a tendency to begin with our problems and then try to apply Love to them. Today, begin by feeling Love loving you, regardless of external circumstances. Don't begin by looking outward for proofs of Love's love. Instead, begin by feeling the embrace of Love. Bask in it. Feel the warmth and care and acceptance. Let your day flow from that beginning.
Most of us have people in our lives for whom we feel responsible; we want to solve their problems, fix their struggles, offer wisdom. But what they need from us even more than our advice - which might be limited or misguided - is our fierce sense that Love loves them. Love holds them. Love delights in them. Love offers unconditional acceptance. We trust Loves care for them. We trust their ability to hear and follow Love's wisdom.
Same with ourselves. Spend less time ruminating over problems and throwing solutions at them and more time feeling Love's love. When we can rest in Love's care, more inspired solutions will become clear. |
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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