Today, I’m having a tough start to the morning. Maybe its because I’m coming off a three day weekend, maybe its because lately, I’ve been struggling with my meaning in the world. For whatever reason, with apologies to Tiger Woods, I didn’t bring my A-game today.
Friends, I must confess, which may sound strange coming from a self-proclaimed Minister of the Mundane, that there are times that I can have doubts about God. It’s not that I necessarily doubt His existence. It’s more like I doubt at times that he plays that central a role in our lives.
There are days, heck even weeks, when I don’t feel His presence, and I feel more than a little bit alone in this big old world. I’ve never been able to explain this. I can be going through life, really in tune with the spirit that I’ve come to know as God, and then all of a sudden, I lose my connection. It’s as if the phone lines have gone dead, and I’m left to drift alone for awhile, wondering why this has happened.
Do you ever feel this way? I’d be a big old hypocrite if I said I felt God’s presence in my life all the time. Sometimes, I just lift my eyes to the heavens and silently ask, “Oh, yoo hoo, where the heck did You go?” It’s a lonely feeling.
I’ve always struggled with meaning and purpose in my life. Specifically, I wonder what exactly its supposed to be. For years now, I’ve been trusting in God to guide me to this end. Lately, however, it feels like I’ve been left to drift alone, rudderless at sea, just going where the waves feel like taking me.
Where are you Big Guy? I sure do need you right now. These are the thoughts and questions I keep thinking as of late.
This I know, however. For every dark night, there is usually, eventually, a bright morning to come. For every time of doubt I have about God playing an active role in my life, there will come a time when I start to notice Him again, when I start seeing Him in the everyday mundane details of this life. There will come a time again. This I do know.
And, my darkness will be lifted once again. My connection to the great spirit that is God will be re-established. And I will doubt no more.
But, unfortunately, not today. Or at least not yet. Today it seems, I’m left to my own devices, to try and muddle through life somehow. I for one, can’t wait to hear from the Big Fella soon.
My friends, I do not wish to pull you down into a state of despair with my gloomy thoughts this morning. I merely wish to show you that we all have times of doubt. It’s during these times that we just have to hold on tightly to the faith we have that He’s really not left us alone, that He is there, always, and in all ways.
Probably the fault is mine for the faulty connection. Oh yea of little faith, and all that jazz. I know, I know, I just need to open my eyes again to see, and open my ears again to hear.
It’s all part of faith my friends.
Someday, I just wish it wasn’t so hard.
-The Minister
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Acceptance
Today, I’m writing about a subject that I’m honestly not that good about: Acceptance.
To me, acceptance means taking what is, or what happens, only and purely for what it is, and not attaching any labels to it.
For example, your car is hit by another car in a parking lot. What really happened? All that truly happened was your car was run into by another car in a parking lot. That’s it. It was an event; there was nothing truly inherently good or bad about it.
The “good” or “bad” are labels that we humans apply to events. They are judgments that we render about events. In the example of the fender bender, most of us would judge that event as bad. And, because we do that, we get irritated, frustrated, or maybe sad at the prospect of having to pay money for the repair, all because we have judged the event to be sad.
Again, the event is just an event. And, still sticking with our fender bender example, if we were to accept the fact that, “bad” or “good”, it happened, and then be done with that, we’d save ourselves a lot of anguish and hand wringing.
True acceptance of what happens would put an end to a lot of our turmoil in life. And, let me be the first to tell you that life gives us all plenty of opportunities to accept what happens. This can be from the mundane to the extreme, and everything in between.
Frankly, I do a poor job of acceptance. I’ve always believed that somehow, I can push right through things and most times, bring about an outcome that is desirable, and mainly desirable by me. But, there are times when things don’t turn out the way I want them that I rail against the outcome, fuming about what did happen versus what could’ve happened. It’s during these times that if I truly accepted what was, I’d be a lot happier.
The truth is that this is a recipe for much greater happiness in life. Accept what is. Even if you don’t “like” the outcome, just accept it, deal with it, and bring it fully into your reality. Only then can you truly work to change what can happen from that moment forward.
By railing, kicking, and screaming about an event, you waste valuable life energy. The event has happened. It’s now in your reality. Accept it for what it is, and then move on.
In this good old mundane life, as I mentioned before, we all have numerous opportunities to practice acceptance. And, if we listen hard enough, or look hard enough into our hearts, we’ll see God right there pointing the way for us.
-The Minister
To me, acceptance means taking what is, or what happens, only and purely for what it is, and not attaching any labels to it.
For example, your car is hit by another car in a parking lot. What really happened? All that truly happened was your car was run into by another car in a parking lot. That’s it. It was an event; there was nothing truly inherently good or bad about it.
The “good” or “bad” are labels that we humans apply to events. They are judgments that we render about events. In the example of the fender bender, most of us would judge that event as bad. And, because we do that, we get irritated, frustrated, or maybe sad at the prospect of having to pay money for the repair, all because we have judged the event to be sad.
Again, the event is just an event. And, still sticking with our fender bender example, if we were to accept the fact that, “bad” or “good”, it happened, and then be done with that, we’d save ourselves a lot of anguish and hand wringing.
True acceptance of what happens would put an end to a lot of our turmoil in life. And, let me be the first to tell you that life gives us all plenty of opportunities to accept what happens. This can be from the mundane to the extreme, and everything in between.
Frankly, I do a poor job of acceptance. I’ve always believed that somehow, I can push right through things and most times, bring about an outcome that is desirable, and mainly desirable by me. But, there are times when things don’t turn out the way I want them that I rail against the outcome, fuming about what did happen versus what could’ve happened. It’s during these times that if I truly accepted what was, I’d be a lot happier.
The truth is that this is a recipe for much greater happiness in life. Accept what is. Even if you don’t “like” the outcome, just accept it, deal with it, and bring it fully into your reality. Only then can you truly work to change what can happen from that moment forward.
By railing, kicking, and screaming about an event, you waste valuable life energy. The event has happened. It’s now in your reality. Accept it for what it is, and then move on.
In this good old mundane life, as I mentioned before, we all have numerous opportunities to practice acceptance. And, if we listen hard enough, or look hard enough into our hearts, we’ll see God right there pointing the way for us.
-The Minister
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