Over the last four weeks, I have had three tests run by my cardiologist. All three have turned out near perfect, which is maddening because before the tests he said that my heart looks great, but because I am 81, we just needed to check, so said he. I guess I should count myself lucky. But then I ask my doctor why my heart aches so much when I watch certain movies. My heart skips a beat when Kevin Costner’s father asks him to play ball in the movie “ Field of Dreams.” And forget whenever a dog dies in a movie, not a man, but a dog, forget it, I’m a big baby; a gulp comes right out of my heart. I use that same heart to pass love all around. I meet and talk with strangers all the time; I learn their names, let them talk about their interests, and get to know their thoughts and emotions. This allows me to be more open and caring to all the people I meet and see in the world in which I live. I see them, and I love them. I am so happy God gives us such loving hearts. . . loving hearts to share with others.
Free will comes with many different restrictions. A few of these are: do not discriminate; don’t hit a man when he’s down; don’t insult the poor because they are poor. There are many more don’ts on the stairway to the top rung. I believe in what one man said. That man lived over 2000 years ago. He was Jesus of Nazareth. Some call him Christ; most call him a prophet. Whatever you call him, he was a man of great vision. One of his greatest sayings was that there are really only two great commandments. The first is to love God. . . no argument there. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Your neighbor is in fact yourself and you in fact are your neighbor. And who is your neighbor? Anyone and everyone whom you may meet. This is my simple philosophy. So, everyone I meet, I love. Everyone I meet is a brother or sister, born of a different physical mother, but here, walking on this earth by the love of God, just as I am. Therefore, I love them as myself, a brother or sister in the love of God now and forever. So. Good night – this is my free will!
O sorrow, you can bring such great grief to harden and break our hearts. Are not our roads difficult enough without you darkening our life paths? You work so long and so very hard to bring sadness and grief to every step we take. However, with the comfort that comes from the help and tenderness from loving family and friends, you crumble under the weight of joy and peace. And with the promise of the eternal presence of our Gracious God. . . Love.
Exodus relates Moses meeting face-to-face with God: “. . . the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked and beheld the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” this reminds us that God’s fire roars into our lives burning the sin from our very beings. The fire that God brings grant us the ability to accommodate everything that we encounter, whether it is sorrow, doubt, suffering, or pain. We all face these man-made problems no matter who we are or where we live, and we know that God softens and comforts every trial that we face. God brings this in the form of love, God’s Love. The compassion within us that this love brings allows us to recognize its glory and offer it to others. We identify with the graciousness and preciousness; overall it is all that repairs the brokenness within ourselves and within others. We recognize that no matter who our neighbors are; we suffer together in an unkind world that only God can rectify. We all have places of fear and trauma. With others we have conflicting places as well; places where the truth of God’s Love rings; places where we can trust; places where we can hold dear to us. This is where we have faith that all of which we are invited to share with our neighbors with whom we are traveling on this sometimes dark and long, lonely road. . . called life.
I don’t know about you, but when something good happens to me, I can’t wait to call my friends and relatives to share the good news. Sometimes, the news is so good, we get together to have a celebratory dinner at home or a nearby restaurant. We all love to share news when it’s good news. But sometimes that news is very bad news, or sometimes tragic news, we also share this with relatives and maybe a very close, longtime friend. Regardless of the case, good or bad, when news comes our way, we have the need to share it with others. It is our way. We as humans have the need to share our good fortunes and our not so good fortunes with those we love. God made us this way. The God of Love made us this way. Aren’t we blessed!
Sometimes I feel lost; sometimes I feel low on life. I find that after eleven years of college at night and many letters after my name, my emotions are not so clear anymore when it comes to life. I need to take a walk in the light of day to hear the children laughing as they play some silly little game that we as adults could never understand. Just their high squealing and giggling has an effect on me, raising my emotions and feelings to a better place. Aren’t we blessed that God is so gracious to us to give us the beauty of the light from the Sun and the laughter of children remind us of the beauty of a not so normal day.
Meditating to Heal 
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