Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Meditation for 12.19.13

Colleton River Plantation; Bluffton SC


“Gratitude is the surest bridge from disturbance to acceptance.”  John Cato

“Acknowledging the good you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”   Eckhart Tolle

     In the words of Forest Gump, “stuff happens.”  Life throws us curve-balls, and they usually seem to come in bunches.  When we mature a bit spiritually, we learn to pause when we are disturbed.  But what do we do with that pause?  How do we find the way to accept that what is …..well, is.  How do we find our way back to being fully engaged in the present moment when we cannot seem to digest the event that has just happened, let alone accept it?

     Yes, time heals all wounds and yes grieving is a process.  But while we are waiting for this mysterious “cure” to our feelings time continues to march by; the hours, days and opportunities that would have been ours if we had been in spiritual equilibrium trickle through our fingers.  This is where we must have a way to span the chasm between being mentally stuck by identifying with our circumstances rather than being intuitively connected to the spirit.  This is where we must learn to develop and maintain reliable pathways into an “attitude of gratitude.”

     Gratitude is not to be mistaken for thankfulness.  Thankfulness always has something attached – we are thankful for a car, food, a roof over our head, a kindness done or any other object or event.  Gratitude is a state of being that brings us a deep appreciation for life itself.  Gratitude is a feeling of one-ness with our fellows and our surroundings, a feeling of connectedness and comfort in our own skin.  Gratitude is understanding and appreciating what grace is – both grace received and grace given. So, how in the world do we get from a disturbance to here?

      In the serenity prayer, we ask for the serenity to accept the things we cannot change.  We must first find this place of peace if we are to escape the self-centeredness of ego.  Making a list of things we are thankful for and a list of challenges we are thankful we are not facing is helpful.  If we have not learned to quit thinking (to meditate) we can still find some solace in a quiet place with mindful prayer.  We can find someone else who needs help and immerse ourselves into being of service.  We can force ourselves to remember that as long as we are following the path we will be ok no matter what.  And when we again find this place of quiet joy, acceptance of “what is” seems to come almost naturally.  Otherwise, we will find ourselves in the twilight of our life and realize that we have never really lived at all.



Today, may I know peace.  D.Emch 


All have a great Thursday
David




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