Tanker Truck or Thimble?

“When you pray you are turning to the power of God and surely you will admit that God is omnipotent, and therefore nothing can be too difficult, or too late, or too soon for Him.” “Infinite Wisdom knows a beautiful and joyous solution to any dilemma. Do not limit the power of God for good in your life.” God is never limited, only OUR perception is limited. God is the true and only source, His abundance beyond measure, a sea of infinite size. Standing at the shore of spiritual abundance, how big is the vessel you brought to fill? A thimble? A cup? A bucket? A tanker truck? The size of our vessel is determined by limits we impose. He wants us to partake fully for we are His children and in truth His abundance is our abundance, our limitations constructed out of self-centered fear. A limited thimble or a limitless queue of tanker trucks, the choice, as always, is ours.

WT?G

“It is not when things are going well that we make our progress. It is not even when things are going wrong and yet we feel sure that we can handle them with prayer, that we advance. It is when, smitten by the temptation to discouragement or even despair, we yet stand for what we know is the Truth.” A wise man said to me years ago “there will be days when in pain, seemingly at wits end when you are going to look around and exclaim WHAT THE ? GOD! (Since this man was a Marine, I will leave it to you gentle reader to decipher ?) Having worked diligently, doing all that is indicated and yet life has gone sideways. Prayers seem to be falling on deaf ears and meditation has lost its savor. Negative analysis leads inexorably to wallowing in morbid reflection. Everything is turning from light to dark. Then the deadly thought surfaces: What’s the point? We placed our trust in God and He has seemingly abandoned us at the worst possible moment. We have lost perspective. The reality that we are eternal, that this is just one day in a very long existence, that we are living in eternity has drifted from focus. Dwelling on the false belief that this time nothing will change, the dark only becoming darker, we feel adrift, alone and unloved. Perhaps even so far as to entertain doubts about even the existence of God and all the destructive thinking this path leads to.

We begin our trip back from the brink with the simple recitation of possibly the most powerful prayer of all: Be still and know that I am God. And wait. What an order. The times when the only action is non-action, allowing God to work are the hardest. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14) Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him (Job 13:15). We must hold to the truth that God is either everything or else he is nothing. He either is or isn’t, no middle ground, no areas of gray. So when our perspective drifts and negative analysis tries to rule the day we must lean even harder on Him who loves us unconditionally, who has all knowledge and power and it begins with: Be still and know that I am God. And wait. Simple, but not easy, how is that for understatement. Peace.

No One Left Behind

Living on the Spiritual Basis our points of reference, the things that used to interest us alters. Typically, this happens with little or no thought on our part. Consider: As children we never sat down one day and decided it was time to stop playing Tonka toys, dolls, army or dress up. The last time we played hide and seek as children just happened. We didn’t plan it or think it through we just didn’t play again. If we take a moment in contemplation, many things can be found that we just stopped doing, without any thought or consideration on our part. Call it growing up or maturing, the same thing happens spiritually but with an important difference: everyone ages and leaves behind their childhood; spiritual growth requires effort on our part. Once we have chosen to place our feet on the path of enlightenment, consistency in action is required. If we are consistent things like gossip, character assassination, selfish and self-centeredness melt away for we are translating from the carnal to the spiritual in thought and deed. This has happened without a conscious plan on our part or by “working” on ourselves but by demonstrating the higher consciousness by our actions. Just as our interest turned from hide and seek in course so does our interest in the spiritually retarding.

“Until you find your true place in life, however, you will never be really happy, no matter how much money or distinction you may acquire; and until you are happy, you will be neither healthy nor free.” 

Our true place, all of ours, is to stand in the light of God’s love, guidance, tolerance and peace. By treating all we meet along the path of our lives in the manner we wish to be treated in, the world changes. When we salute the innate spark of the Divine in all, regardless of how disagreeable we may find them, the world improves. Love cannot grow in hate. Peace cannot be found in a raised hand. Meeting of minds never comes from a bullhorn. Condescension never gives rise to understanding. The path has been clear for two thousand years, has not enough time, enough failed demonstrations of personal and collective selfishness shown the futility of business as usual? Pray for humanity to put aside its toys and childish ways and embrace our true place, as children of peace, kindness and joy united in Spirit, no one beyond the pale, no one left behind.

BLOODY KNEES, BACTINE, MONKEY BARS AND GOD

Recently the world changed, well recent in a generational sense. It has happened over the last 60 years. Once upon a time children were taught to strive to be the best, to excel, to play hard, keep score and that bumps and scrapes and bruises and winning and losing were all part of growing up and life. When they burst through the door with a bloody knee or elbow, they received a spray of Bactine, a band-aid, and a pat on the butt and were sent back out to play. If Johnny who lived down the street bloodied their nose, Dad would give them a pep talk and a boxing lesson. If they broke the rules at school a swat from “old hickory” or some such named paddle was delivered, picking up trash or some other supposed demeaning task assigned to punctuate their malfeasance, parents notified only if they were repeat offenders.

Today a bloody knee, elbow, or nose can lead to a trip to the plastic surgeon and an immediate call to an attorney to assign blame and seek compensation for emotional tumult and future therapy needs, fighting requiring a police report and a crisis counselor. Have you been to a playground lately? No swings, no “monkey” bars to do “death drops” from, no jungle gyms or teeter-totters, grass and dirt replaced with specially formulated cushioning sand and rubber mats. Failure is avoided in our public schools, it being more important to “try” than succeed. Even scores for sporting contests have been discontinued in some burbs because it is more important to participate than to have winners and losers, God forbid. Oops, sorry, using the G word or saying “Merry Christmas” may upset or offend someone so that is frowned on and do not even suggest singing any of the great Christmas carols like Silent Night in a public setting, too religious dontcha know. Oh, and don’t even get them started on “In God We Trust” on American currency.

If you agree with way the world is turning in regards to personal responsibility, wrapping children in “cotton” in a attempt to shield them from life’s inevitable ups, downs, bruises, cuts, failures and successes, the removing of God and Spiritual Guidance from being mentioned in any public way, than please, have a wonderful day and stop reading. No Really. Stop.

When we believe in nothing then we will believe in anything, all that matters is feelings. Actions have no consequence, so long as I feel good about myself is the credo of those living on the secular basis, a basis for living built on the shifting sand of carnal thought. Living on the Spiritual Basis provides a foundation built on unshakable rock, a foundation that can and will stand against anything thrown against it. God is either everything or else He is nothing-choose wisely. Oh, and whatever time of year it is, Merry Christmas.

THE BEST SERMON

     Some years ago a television program aired chronicling the Dalai Lama. Part of the broadcast consisted of a number of “famous” people relating the effect he had had on their lives. One interviewee was a well-known hard partying member of a famous rock band. He spoke of how the Dalai Lama had greeted him by name, making him feel truly welcome and though he had only a few minute meet and greet scheduled, the Dalai Lama singled him out and spent hours chatting with him. Much moved, eyes glistened with tears, he spoke of how life changing the meeting had been, how he had been touched at a deep spiritual level, profoundly altered. His segment ended somewhat curiously with his recounting how he had been clean and sober for some months at the time of the meeting but shortly afterward was strung out on Heroin again. What happened? “Knowledge that you do not actually use is only intellectual knowledge and is barren, and even fades out in time through lack of use.” “Faith without works is dead” and “To be vital, faith must be accompanied by self sacrifice and unselfish, constructive action.” All the spiritual knowledge in the world is of little use if we fail to demonstrate it in our lives. The longest eighteen inches in the world lies between the head and heart. What is in the mind is potential, what we demonstrate is reality. This man had every advantage life can provide, money, fame, connections, even learning at the feet of a world-renowned spiritual teacher, yet he failed to demonstrate. “It is far better to have a thimbleful of spiritual knowledge and use it than to have a whole mountain of correct spiritual doctrine most of which you have never made work.”

 So, just for today, practice patience, tolerance, kindness and love to the best of your current ability, for as a wise man said to me many years ago, don’t sing me a sermon, show me one.

WE CANNOT HAVE BOTH

We cannot have love and practice hatred.

We cannot have tranquility and be harried.

We cannot have serenity and embrace anger.

We cannot have true joy and harbor resentment.

We cannot have peace of heart and a closed mind.

We cannot have peace of mind and engage in gossip.

We cannot have spiritual growth and believe in limitation.

We cannot have spiritual abundance and a hoarding mentality.

We cannot have integrity and engage in character assassination.

WHO IS YOUR HABERDASHER?

    Often truly well intentioned folks will admonish knowingly “be careful what you pray for, you may get it.” The comment is generally followed with knowing nods and nervous laughter from those within earshot. Let’s step back and think this through or if you prefer, think from the end. The first question that must be addressed is; what do we believe? If we believe that God would answer any prayer with something harmful, what does that say about God? To believe that God punishes us for any reason when we go to Him in prayer is to reject His true nature, all knowing, all-powerful and all loving. Remember, we cannot get sweet and bitter water from the same well or poison and healthy fruit from the same tree. Additionally some have stated that all prayers are answered just sometimes the answer is no. This also denies the true nature of God, for God is always in the affirmative, positive to and for us, never in the negative.

     So why then are some prayers seemingly not answered? The reason for this is simple: “We often pray for things for which we are not really prepared; but if we pray scientifically this will not matter, since Creative intelligence will send us the thing that we really need” Emmet Fox. So clearly a loving, all powerful, all knowing God provides what we need, the perfect hat, but it is our outlining of what we believe we need or what the answer should look like, a different hat, that causes us difficulty. Consider the parable of the lost man: A man is lost in a frozen wilderness. He prays to God for rescue. As if on queue, a trapper appears and offers to lead the man out. He replies, “Thanks, but I have prayed and God will rescue me,” the trapper, shaking his head continues on his way. Some time passes and a man on a snowmobile drives up and offers the man a ride out. Again he replies “Thanks, but I have prayed and God will rescue me”, stunned, he drives away. As night begins to fall a helicopter appears and the pilot calls out “A hunter and snowmobile rider reported you were stranded out here” begging the man to get on board, for when night falls he will freeze to death. The man however remains steadfast in his belief, so the helicopter pilot reluctantly lifts off, his heart sick for he knows the man‘s fate is sealed. The sun sets and in short order the man finds himself standing before God. Incredulous he asks God “Where were you? I prayed and you never came.” God, in a quiet voice with a tear in his eye responded, “Of course I came. I sent a trapper, a snowmobile and a helicopter to rescue you.”

    How often have we already had the right hat (demonstration) in our possession, but were unable to recognize it for we had outlined a different solution. Never fear in prayer, pray deeply and if you are unsure of what hat to wear, let God be your haberdasher and though you may desire a fedora, balmoral or capuchon, don’t dismiss the baseball cap that keeps showing up.

JUST FOR TODAY

      Consistent effort and practice is required if we wish to demonstrate spiritually. Mere mental assent has little lasting effect unless coupled with intelligent effort.  “Faith without works is dead.” True Change only happens when we put into action what we have learned, moving knowledge, mind, into purpose, heart. So the question stands: Are you following a consistent set of spiritual principles, practicing them religiously? And if not, why not, what could possibly be of more importance?