God's Wink ;-)

First, I apologize for the cheesy picture....but it will all make sense to you very soon.

There have been too many "just coincidences" in my life.  The timing is too uncanny and incredible to just chalk it up to probability.  I call these moments "winks from God".  With some googling, I found out I am not alone...there are even books written about it.

I could write about so many of these moments, but I want to share a recent story that may have been "just coincidence"... or not.

I drive a lot on my job, and I see a lot of "beggars" on the corner.  I can never decide if I should give something, so this summer I decided to try an "experiment".

The rules went like this:  I keep dollar bills on my console,  Every time I am the first car stopped at the intersection, I am to give the beggar a dollar...no matter what.  I really don't know why I decided to do this and with these particular rules.  I just made the decision and went with it.

All summer long I probably gave away two dollars total.  And then last week, I had this most unusual experience:

At the end of the day, I came to a stop light and saw the most dirty and ugly beggar ever.  I couldn't read his sign, but he was kinda scary looking. I rolled down my window and put out my dollar.  He hobbled over and leaned close to the window and gently took the dollar with filthy hands. His red and watery eyes connected with mine as he said a very heartfelt "God bless you".   Immediately, "Jesus on the cross" was the thought that pierced through my mind.  (Trust me, I don't usually think like this.)

I had previously decided to swing by Starbucks which was about 2 blocks away.  After ordering at the drive-thru, I had this incredibly long talk with God.  It went something like this: "So God, does it really matter that I gave him a dollar?  Should I have given him more...or maybe not at all?  I mean, what if he uses it to buy wine or something bad?  Wouldn't that be enabling him?  Does it really matter at all God...it was just a stupid dollar.  And not only that God, but my heart wasn't in it.  Aren't I supposed to care about him and feel good about this?  Actually God, I don't.  I am confused and I don't have any feelings at all about what I did.  What do you make of all this God?"

While chattering away, I had made my way to the window to pay for my coffee.  I handed the barista my card and she says,  "Oh no, you don't have to pay...the customer ahead of you paid for it."  I was hit so hard by this, that I did not "pay it forward"...but drove away in a daze.  I knew this was more than a fun "wink" from God, it was more like a "jolt".

I have been processing this for the past week.  I know God was at work to send me a message.  Normally "coincidences" like this build my faith that God is present and at work.  This was different.  This was a lesson. 

Let's look at the "givers".  The person who started the "pay it forward" got no thanks.  Not only that, he or she was giving to people who could afford it and was contributing to a possible caffeine addiction.  That kind of giving makes no sense to me.  I gave a lousy dollar that probably won't make a lot of difference...that makes no sense to me either.

All of my life, I have lived by reason...to try to be a good steward of resources.  I usually give to those I love.  If a give to causes, I have to deem them "worthy".  God has shaken my logic. I am learning something that is extremely difficult for me to fathom...that LOVE is NOT always logical.  I had assumed that I was dealing with a logical God...but maybe not.  Love without reason?  I am still struggling with this irrational awareness: JUST GIVE. 

There was one other thought I had about this small scenario.  In the story, who is the saint?  The beggar had nothing to give, except his blessings from God to me.  I was blessed  5 minutes later...and it was a whole lot more than a free cup of coffee!

 

Just Watch!

There is this skill I have acquired over the years that I want to share with you.  It is called "detached observation".  My first encounter of it was in the study of the sciences.  Scientists are supposed to detach themselves from the outcome and be free of all biases.  To observe without any emotion is very difficult, and one has to be kinda like Spock.                         

Another time I learned this skill was when I trained as a counselor.  We had to listen without any agenda as clients told us their "story".   We were taught to not project our own personal story onto them.  This is actually trickier than science, because we were trying to "relate" and stay separate at the same time.  This is even harder with the people we love. 

The last time I practiced this skill was after my heart was broken.  Practicing detached observation became a way of life to endure the pain of loss. 

Because of all this practicing, I have become skilled at "watching"... and I can choose to watch with or without emotion.  I can even watch myself watch!  I can watch the earth and see all the humans carrying out their individual stories.  I watch the human species like I am a curious alien... apart from all the stories... just watching.

I can watch my own thoughts as if they were objects, and not attach myself to any of them. 

A lot of religions espouse the skill of this emotional detachment.  A person has no pain, because there is no attachment.  Some "new age" people call this living in the "here and now" and call it freedom.

And actually it is freeing and peaceful to let everything be what it is...but it also has a huge cost.

After watching the world go by, no matter if I am viewing from above or from within... I am not "in" the story.  My only story then becomes watching the story.  I am the audience.

There is much power in this posture.   And with that power is the danger of arrogance and passivity.  In some ways it is like playing God.  As I watch in amusement as everyone clings to everything, I am not choosing any sides or involved in any change.  I am worse than someone sitting on the fence with indecision.  I am even above the fence! 

From this lofty viewpoint I see some people getting off the fence and taking a stand.  I don't know if their stand is correct or going to make a difference.  I just see PASSION. 

I am happy that I have this observational skill.  It is useful at times to be like Spock.  But I am not a Vulcan... I am a human.  I want off this perch.  I want to FEEL.  I want a story.  I want to choose a side.

The question is... do I want to watch the show or be in it?  And if  I want to be in it...do I want to sit on the fence or commit to something?  And what would I like to be committed to?

I love Christianity because it is ALL about relationship...and that means attachment.  That is very messy because it involves emotions and drama.

Jesus asks us to be involved in a story...God's story.  We are invited to get off the fence and take a stand...a committment to love in action.

   

    

The "Balloon Poppers"

Beware!  Watch out for the Balloon Poppers. (aka; The Realist or the Pragmatist.) Dreamers...especially be on guard.  They will burst your bubble or let the air out of your tires...and they will do it right in front of you!

I am one of these unpopular "Poppers".  I don't like the job much, but somebody's got to do it.  Why?  My motivation is to be a "steward" of resources.  I don't really have a better reason other then to prevent unnecessary spending of time, money and energy.  There is no emotion to my logic.  POP! 

I wonder how many balloons I pop on a daily basis.  There is quite a trick to it.  You can sugar coat the information, so it isn't as hard to take.  Or you can present the reality with the "silver lining" touch.  But in the end, the facts are the facts no matter how they're wrapped.

Some bubbles need to burst.  (I don't pop them all, because I do not want all hope to be lost.  This is a practical reason for not popping.)    I am just the lady with the information and you get to do what you want with it.  (Don't kill the messenger...or in this case the Popper.)

Balloon popping involves telling the truth.  And the truth is...nobody really wants to hear it...except if it is what they want to hear.  Even though people say they want the truth, in my experience this doesn't seem to be "true".  I bet you don't like hearing that...which proves my point!

I look to Jesus as my role model.  He is the best Popper I know and just look what happened to him! He told the Truth...always.  People still don't want to hear it.  More than anything, I would love to keep everyone's dreams intact.  The problem is that sometimes those dreams do more harm than good.

So I will live with my Popper responsibility.  It is my belief that the truth will set everyone free, but it won't happen until the walls of denial and delusion come crashing down.  In the meantime, I will continue to be as honest with myself and others as gently as I can. 

I don't have the objective of setting everyone free as our Savior did.  For me, I am Popping for the goal to be "safe and sane".  Poppers may be a necessary "evil", so please have a little patience with the Poppers.  Most of us care about the Poppies, or we wouldn't waste our time.

"There's No Place Like Home"

How many times have you watched "The Wizard of Oz"?  I still never tire of it.  Especially the universal theme of seeking that which is "over the rainbow".
 

Every character is seeking something in the story.  For example, courage, heart or intelligence.  But the MAIN character Dorothy is seeking to go HOME.

But what is home?  Over the years, home has been many places for me.  In my youth, home is where my hometown was and where my family lived.  I can remember the feelings of  home "sickness", when I would be away at camp or college and long to be back "home".  That place of comfort, predictability and safety.

I still have deep longings for "home", but it is different now.  Like Dorothy, I still live in "Kansas", which I call Spokane.  Some of my main characters are gone now.  My mother and father have passed on, and I have an apartment I call "home".  But I still feel like I am in a dream, looking for the "yellow brick road" to lead me home.

For me, the whole experience of my life has not been unlike this movie classic.  I have spent most of my time trying to find the permanent and perfect home.  My brain knows it does not exist on this earth, and yet I have this longing for this kind of home I KNOW exists somewhere. (If not over the rainbow... then where???) 

I have come to believe that this "Home" is heaven, and the parent always available is God.  I have faith in this because nothing else can explain this longing...and it is universal.   Sometimes when I pray, I am really writing letters Home...just like a kid away at camp.  I feel like I do not belong here, and it is a temporary visit.  I long to be reunited with my Perfect Parent...Permanently.

I found it quite astonishing to read this in the Bible.  In Hebrews, the author talks about main characters of the Bible who had all lived by faith.  Here is what he has to say about them...
 
"And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would  have had opportunity to return. Instead they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."  
  -Hebrews 11:13-16

I don't have the answers for many things...like what I am supposed to do while I am here.  All I know is, like Dorothy I do long to be Home.  There are times when I feel very close to Home, and I don't need a "wizard" to take me there.  If I told you how simple it was, you wouldn't believe me.  Just close your eyes and repeat over and over... "There's no place like Home". (And don't forget to tap your ruby slippers while you do this!)

That is the advice that Glenda the witch gave to Dorothy and maybe she is right.  Maybe Home is not over the rainbow.  Maybe it is closer than we know.  Maybe we don't have to wait until we get off this planet.  Maybe we can have a few moments when we are "here" and Home.  Jesus said it best:

"The kingdom of God does NOT come with your careful observation, nor will people say 'Here it is, ' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is WITHIN YOU."  -Luke 17:20-21.





                                                         

Word Wednesday: Commitment

If  I could write one book, I would call it "The Meaning of Commitment."  If I could change my childhood, I would wish to be taught the true meaning and practice of this word.

I have talked about how we all use words and assume everyone agrees on the definition.  I think that most people think commitment means to keep a promise.  This is such a narrow view, because it does not factor in the quality.  For example,  married couples may never leave or forsake their partners, and are perceived as committed.  But what is the level?  What is the quality?

Commitments can be as easy as deciding to turn left when driving.  They can be short term, or long term.  I think we all understand that kind of decision making.  What I never understood was the complexity of all commitments...and the daily decisions they are made of.  EVERY decision we make is a reflection of what we are committed to.

Actually it is as simple as this analogy:  A garden needs daily work or the weeds will take over and the flowers will die.  If we have too many gardens, there will not be enough resources to take care of them, or we will die trying.

For me, I wish I would have learned this a long time ago, because I would understand DAILY work is necessary for a quality garden... a quality life.  I would also know the impact of making a lifetime commitment, and all that entails.  I would have also learned that I cannot do it all.  And I would know with all choices, there is something I will lose.

I have enjoyed much of my life.  I have loved much and experienced so many things.  The two missing pieces were putting love and commitment together.  That is a great sadness for me.  I cannot change my past, and I won't preach.  I can only share what I have learned from my own mistakes.

Selective Thought

Everyone is always thinking something.  I have done a lot of thinking about thinking itself.

The most fascinating thing I have realized is the vast freedom we all have in thought.  At any point in time I have an infinite number of possible thoughts.  I can freely choose them from my base of knowledge and experience.  In addition, I have my imagination to organize all of that.

Our minds are the only place of  freedom and solitude. We are the only ones in charge of how we think and there is no person who can know.  Freedom is what we all desire...and there is no freer place than in our mind.

I think most of us take this awareness for granted, but I don't think most of us realize the dangers of this freedom.   For me, I realized that some of my thoughts were harmful to myself.   Some thoughts can lead to places of despair.  It takes much objectivity to not buy into them, but then I think, "What thoughts should I buy into then?"  This thought led to places of confusion.  I began to understand that much of what we call "insanity", is just a misuse of the freedom of our mind.

I am beginning to discover something quite paradoxical.  The more I experience my freedom, the more I want to harness it.  This is especially true for my mind.  I cannot handle the freedom.  If I let my mind go where it wants, I am like a child dizzy from spinning in circles.

It is much easier to put a rein on my behavior than my thoughts.  I can think much more faster than I move.  All I know is that it is very important for me to exercise the practice of "Selective Thought".  I am beginning to know the paths of thought that lead to places I should not go.  Even though these places do not exist in reality, my mind can be easily fooled.  These are just thoughts I shouldn't "entertain", like uninvited guests.

I love the Bible for this.  I have found an answer for my "freedom".  There is much in the Bible about freedom and obedience...of body, mind and soul.

I need help in keeping a "rein" on my thoughts.  The Jews used a "yoke" to join two animals together...much like a rein.  It is still my choice what I will think, but I no longer carry the burden of the chaos created by my own free thinking.  Giving away my freedom has made me free.

Jesus says:  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  -Matthew 11:28-30. 

The Label Effect

Label: a descriptive or identifying word or phrase. 

That seems simple enough.  But don't let the simplicity fool you.  Please allow me to take you on a personal tour of what I call "the label effect".  I have to make it personal because it is...but it can be "applied" to everyone. (Pun intended)

      

It all started on the day I was born.  My parents gave me a name.  I needed to be called something because let's face it...life would be quite difficult if everyone was called "Baby".  I suppose everyone could be given a number.  For obvious reasons it was necessary to have this first label.  However, no matter what I was called...I would still be "me". 

Along the way, I started gathering some other descriptive labels.  Depending on who you talked to and on what day...I was given some labels we now call personality traits.  I have been "tagged" with many labels...good and not so good.  Most people would like me to be consistent with these "traits" so that I would be more predictable.  And we need to describe ourselves to others, so they can get to know us and what to expect from us.  No matter how I am described, the fact remains...I would still be "me".

Later on I got some different labels.  Some were roles I played...sister, daughter, wife, mother, student, etc.  I also gathered up some professional titles.  These actually impressed some people.  I also gathered some health diagnoses...people didn't quite know what to make of them.  After a lifetime of label gathering...I am still "me" (with the new label of "senior"...which I get discounts for!)

The amazing thing about labels is that we cannot live without them.  Our minds have to categorize so that we can make some sense of the world we live in.  The negative result is that we miss the ESSENCE of the person we have boxed in with labels.  It is maddening to be perceived through the lens of my labels.  I am not my labels, not even the good ones.  And you are not yours.  So this is the great question, that the search for identity demands..."Who am I if I am not my labels?"

Well, "I am".   And you are too.   We are all a part of the BIG "I AM".

"The label effect" is nearly impossible for anyone to escape, but it is the only way to truly experience the "real" essence of another.