Some days as I go through my affirmations, one will particularly resonate with me, and then it hangs in the back of my mind all day. Today when I got to "Everything is planned to teach me love," the statement wouldn't let go of me and whispered to me all day.
Even before I got to the office, I was pondering, "Why does something need to teach me love?" The immediate answer seemed to be that I don't know love. When I focus on breathing into my heart, I am sure the "vibration" that I feel is God's love. By extension, since I believe that we are all connected through God's love, I am sure that it should be the same or similar.
Yet, I don't know that I've experienced that feeling with any human being when I know I should feel it with all human beings. Hmmm... Maybe I don't know love, or don't know how to feel love. Or, just maybe, I've guarded myself so that I shut others out. Ouch! That again.
I believe that part of our basic equipment as humans is to be able to give and receive love. Is it possible that my equipment is so under-used and rusted that it has forgotten what is basically human?
One of my favorite little books is one that has been around for awhile, called The Knight in Rusty Armor (Robert Fisher.) The book relates a parable about a knight who has lived in his armor so long that he can no longer take it off at the end of the day when he is done doing battle. Only when he weeps at not being able to hug his family do his tears cause pieces of his armor to drop off.
I sense his experience may be similar to what occurs to well guarded hearts, like mine. I haven't cried...yet. I have been overwhelmed with a deep sense of loss about all the people I have "loved" intellectually in my life but for whom I have thought it was just too risky to really open my heart. Well, I didn't really "think" the risk part in a conscious sort of way. I am pretty certain, though, that it was happening in a less-than-conscious way. Now I realize that whatever damage I thought might be done to my heart could only be exceed by the sadness at not having really let "my people" in.
I feel like a toddler at this, taking my first wobbly steps. I am certain that I need something to hang onto as I steady myself, and my heart tells me that something will be God's love--it will be my compass teaching me love.
Showing posts with label mantra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mantra. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
The Peace That Passes All Understanding
As I was making myself something for dinner this evening, I began to think about what I might write in my blog tonight. Well, of course, that is all wrong. There I go thinking again: my writing is supposed to come from my heart and not my head.
Nonetheless, almost like an earworm, for the last 90 minutes, the phrase from the Christian New Testament of Philippians "the peace that passes all understanding" has been playing over and over again, echoing behind cooking sounds, the radio, the TV, and even as I ran water to wash my face and brush my teeth.
"The peace that passes all understanding." I thought it was a topic. Now, my heart knows it is a process. Just allow myself to sink into peace and let the words flow through me. Why the repetition? It was almost as if my soul was meditating me instead of me meditating. I've often talked with coaching clients about letting their prayers pray them. Like a mantra, the phrase "the peace that passes all understanding" meditated me.
The point of letting prayers pray us is to just listen deeply to what our soul wants to pray and to let go of the clutter with which our brains would clutter our communication channels. When I've prayed this way with clients, it is very slow, and the words just gently float out. Mostly what floats out are words of gratitude, and gratitude for such little things that most of us would never think to include in our prayers. It has been such a long time since I've let my prayers pray me. I think it is time. Our souls are so wise.
Nonetheless, almost like an earworm, for the last 90 minutes, the phrase from the Christian New Testament of Philippians "the peace that passes all understanding" has been playing over and over again, echoing behind cooking sounds, the radio, the TV, and even as I ran water to wash my face and brush my teeth.
"The peace that passes all understanding." I thought it was a topic. Now, my heart knows it is a process. Just allow myself to sink into peace and let the words flow through me. Why the repetition? It was almost as if my soul was meditating me instead of me meditating. I've often talked with coaching clients about letting their prayers pray them. Like a mantra, the phrase "the peace that passes all understanding" meditated me.
The point of letting prayers pray us is to just listen deeply to what our soul wants to pray and to let go of the clutter with which our brains would clutter our communication channels. When I've prayed this way with clients, it is very slow, and the words just gently float out. Mostly what floats out are words of gratitude, and gratitude for such little things that most of us would never think to include in our prayers. It has been such a long time since I've let my prayers pray me. I think it is time. Our souls are so wise.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
BEing the Nature of God
Back in the day when I owned an automobile, I enjoyed taking road trips. As I drove alone down the highway, I often slipped into repeating a mantra or affirmation of something I wanted to bring into my life. I would repeat it hundreds of times during my trip. What was quite remarkable was how often a deeper level of understanding would just gently float into my awareness during the repetitions--Aha! moments.
I really don't remember what the mantra that generated it was, but I do recall having a thought toward the end of a trip about 15 years ago that continues to both inspire and terrify me. The thought was that the only way humans have to experience God is through each other. If we want others to know God's Love, we need to demonstrate it to them: they will know it through our behaviors. If we want others to know God's Forgiveness, we need to demonstrate it to them: they will know it through our behaviors. God Nature is reflected through each of us to all human kind.
What a concept! That I could allow everyone with whom I come in touch to experience God by how I relate to them is inspiring me. I hope that it is equally clear why that is so terrifying. As much as I try, I know the frequency with which my behaviors reflect what I want others to know of God isn't near what I would like it to be. I think that I am usually a good person, but I do get irritable and impatient from time to time. Perhaps even more embarrassing is how much of my life proceeds on autopilot. I'd hate to think that God puts us on autopilot. Even more uncomfortable for me, the author of a book about "BEing" is how often I "do" things with people instead of "BE" with them.
Since retyping The Game Called Life a couple weeks ago, this whole thing about BEing the Nature of God has been with me. What "floated in" today is not how I reflect God (though for me that is still a concern,) but how I receive God from others. In my autopiloting through life what wonders that God wanted to share with me have I blown off because I wasn't paying attention. In my "doingness" how often have I missed the opportunity to "just BE" with God through another human being who is reflecting the nature of God.
Today I have new understanding of the Sanskrit greeting--"Namaste," still used in India and Nepal. "I bow to the God within you." When I bow to the God within you, and you bow to the God within me, it is said, "We are One." What if I just took responsibility both to be a reflection of the Nature of God and to be present to the reflection of the Nature of God in those around me? What a ripple I could create.
I really don't remember what the mantra that generated it was, but I do recall having a thought toward the end of a trip about 15 years ago that continues to both inspire and terrify me. The thought was that the only way humans have to experience God is through each other. If we want others to know God's Love, we need to demonstrate it to them: they will know it through our behaviors. If we want others to know God's Forgiveness, we need to demonstrate it to them: they will know it through our behaviors. God Nature is reflected through each of us to all human kind.
What a concept! That I could allow everyone with whom I come in touch to experience God by how I relate to them is inspiring me. I hope that it is equally clear why that is so terrifying. As much as I try, I know the frequency with which my behaviors reflect what I want others to know of God isn't near what I would like it to be. I think that I am usually a good person, but I do get irritable and impatient from time to time. Perhaps even more embarrassing is how much of my life proceeds on autopilot. I'd hate to think that God puts us on autopilot. Even more uncomfortable for me, the author of a book about "BEing" is how often I "do" things with people instead of "BE" with them.
Since retyping The Game Called Life a couple weeks ago, this whole thing about BEing the Nature of God has been with me. What "floated in" today is not how I reflect God (though for me that is still a concern,) but how I receive God from others. In my autopiloting through life what wonders that God wanted to share with me have I blown off because I wasn't paying attention. In my "doingness" how often have I missed the opportunity to "just BE" with God through another human being who is reflecting the nature of God.
Today I have new understanding of the Sanskrit greeting--"Namaste," still used in India and Nepal. "I bow to the God within you." When I bow to the God within you, and you bow to the God within me, it is said, "We are One." What if I just took responsibility both to be a reflection of the Nature of God and to be present to the reflection of the Nature of God in those around me? What a ripple I could create.
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