As I sit in prayer this morning, I am so grateful for the many gifts of this day, and grateful for our Spiritual Community. I hold each of us in the Love and Light of the One, knowing that each has exactly what is needed in every moment to live a life of Grace and Beauty, Joy and Wholeness. And so it is.
I would like to take another look at the process of order, disorder, reorder, as discussed in my last post. I stated that this tends to be our pattern of spiritual development, but that I didn’t think it had to happen that way. This was meant only to encourage us to look for inspiration as that which moves us forward so that desperation need not set in. Still, we all face challenges, and if we are paying attention and are willing to move through the difficulty (rather than trying to avoid it), each one can serve as an opportunity which leads us to greater wisdom.
Fr. Richard Rohr and Patrick Boland, in Everything is Sacred, remind us that, “We all seek close friendships, intimate love, meaningful and well-paid work. When our grand plans don’t work out, we’re tempted to avoid the consequences of what ensues. We look for the easy way out, but there is no life hack and no fast track that quickly get us to the wisdom of reorder.” Moving through life’s challenges is a process of inclusion, not exclusion. Every experience we have ever had has played a part in bringing us to this time and place.
Whatever life brings, we must take the time to be with it; it is important to look deeply into what is being called forth from us, into the places we are being moved to grow. It benefits us to practice gratitude for the doors that are being opened (even if they are not yet apparent), as well as the doors that are being closed. Author and teacher Parker J. Palmer, in his book Let Your Life Speak, was reminded by one of his Quaker Elders: “There is as much guidance in what does not and cannot happen in my life as there is in what can and does — maybe more.” This is a powerful reminder to not only remember that when one door closes, another one opens; but rather, to pay close attention to which ones are closing and which ones are opening…and to neither stand in the way of the closing door, nor wear yourself out trying to pry open the one that has just slammed shut. Being with what is can be a challenging, even painful process. But the wisdom gained is well worth the time and effort.
Why is it so important to spend whatever time is necessary in times of challenge and transition? It is the way of Nature, as it evolves, not only to transcend, but to include. Take as an example the human brain. Since the earliest days of human evolution, we have had a reptilian or primal brain. This is our fight or flight center, there to protect us from being eaten. Sometime later, we developed our limbic system, which is responsible for the motivation and emotion involved in feeding, reproductive and parental behaviors. Most recently, humans developed the neocortex, which grants us the ability for language, abstraction, planning, and perception. At each stage in our evolution, we have added new parts and their respective abilities. We did not trade in the old for the new. This is how evolution transcends and includes. The inclusion is part of the foundation for our transcendence. So whether it takes 40 days of reflection and prayer (like Jesus or the Buddha), or 40 years in the dessert (like Moses and his gang), take the time…no work-arounds. Remember, the number 40 symbolizes as long as it takes to shift consciousness, and therefore conditions.
There are some beneficial practices that we can use as we sit with what is. First, and most helpful is the willingness to let go of our illusions of order and control. What? Let’s face it, the only thing we really can control is our own experience of whatever is occurring. We cannot actually control events. So why not let go of the illusion and allow ourselves to gradually find our way to contentment and peace with whatever is before us? This doesn’t mean we have to approve of, or be happy about, a particular circumstance or condition. It doesn’t mean that we won’t take measures and thoughtful action to move into a more life-affirming situation as we are guided. It only means that in the process, we will put down the resistance and simply let things be as they are…no judgment, no criticism, no blame.
The second tool that I find very useful has already been mentioned. Look for the blessings. This can be a very challenging Practice in the midst of pain, loss, and grief. It is not meant to take the place of these feelings or processes, only to add another dimension. My favorite auntie always told me that every cloud has a silver lining. And she was right…I have come to see that every one of my life’s challenges has offered its gifts. This is the way things work in the physical world. One coin has both heads and tails. One bowl has both a concave and a convex surface. One situation has both challenges and blessings. The trick is that we have to be willing to admit that this is so (which in and of itself may call us to let down our control and resistance) and to look for and receive the blessings.
During this season of fasting and feasting, of release and renewal, I invite you to make some time each day to reflect on where there may be disorder in your life. What is the most beneficial way for you to be with what is? What steps are you Guided to take to move you toward reorder? It will be fun to see what is coming into being as we take one step at a time toward a future of Limitless Possibility.
Know that today and always, I am here to support you.
Know that today and always, the Christ Light shines within you.
May we be well…know our unity…and thrive! And…
May we know the Absolutely miraculous nature of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day!
