Loss hurts! Deep loss hurts forever, deeply! When we turn on our televisions, we hear the local meteorologist tell us that a new storm is coming. But when we suffer a deep loss, the storm is already here. And there is nothing that we can do or say that will lessen that loss, that will lessen the pain of that loss. I come to you with open arms. My hands raised, raised high to our God, wondering what I can give, anything will help; but I know that God is already with you. I see an aura of light around you that you may yet not feel. But with all of your friends gathered around you, lifting you with love, the love of God, bringing you God’s mercy, worshiping with you; this is the gift we bring you. For the loss that truly hurts. We pray that we can open your heart. For God to soothe your pain.
We (society) live in a world of choices, and sometimes our choices seem to sneak up on us (society) and tell us we have made a serious mistake. The terrible part of this is that we (society) are unable to change what we have done. We can be completely intolerant and blame it on the “other guy” (our neighbor). After all, it was his fault; he was the one who caused all the problems in the first place. Or, we can be tolerant, and roll up our sleeves and work together to fix the problems as they come along. Our first goal is to find a common place to start. We know that place; it has been laid out before us; it is within us; God has shown us the way. The lighted path will encourage us to work together to accomplish the work the must be done for us to be in control of our own lives. If we work together, we can gain control of our individual lives as God desires us to do. We have maximum control of our lives; not for the material goals of more money, but maximum control of life, true life, the life that matters, not the one constantly reaching out for material wealth The work God wants us to do, we can do together; it is non-adversarial; it is non-counterproductive, if that is such a word. When we work together to reach a fuller and richer life according to God’s wishes (and remember, they may be different for all of us), the result is a fulfillment not just for each individual but for society as a whole, Therefore the subject of tolerance versus intolerance really does not arise , since the fulfillment is the richness of each individual’s life. I have always believed that a full life of prayer and love will take us a long way to avoid intolerance in our world. Let us hold this spiritual truth in our minds as we walk together on the individual paths of our lives.
Did you ever think about why the ancients wrote the way they did? Whenever they wrote about one person, there was always another one in the background, or with the person, sharing the adventure or the troubles. In all the major stories in the Bible, our heroes are surrounded by friends and followers who support them during times of fear, hunger, and pain. In times of human despair, God’s love is shown in the reactions of other humans. They are the budding trees of God’s love bringing peace and comfort to those in harm’s way. Friends are the invisible powers of togetherness.
In our relationship with God, In our relationships with each other, we have nothing to offer, because we have nothing of our own. We are born with nothing, and that is the way we die, Except for one important element in our lives. One very important gift Is what is given by God. This is love. It is the gift that we cannot keep! It is ours only to share, to spread far and wide in the world we inhabit. When a helping hand is needed, we give it; any way we can. Unlike God, we may not have Heaven and Earth to share or promise, but we do have Love, God’s built-in attention of our hearts and intentional love of our insufficient human brains that carry us to help each other in times of need. These make up the Love of the Given Gift of God.
That was really good. I guess I am not the only one blocked by the road plowers. I am praying I can get out before I run out of food. I have a handicapped son who loves to eat! Thank you for this. I enjoyed reading it. I know God is with me and grateful for it.
In the spiritual adventure of what we call life we discover that our life is like a drop of water in God’s eternity. With our family and friends always walking beside us, catching us when we falter, we are always assured that we are on the safe and treasured path that God has given is yesterday, today and tomorrow, allowing us to walk in His grace. When we forever take God’s Love and Grace as our everyday mantra, we treat all whom we meet with love and peace in our hearts and on our lips. Truly, Life is Good.
I was raised in a wealthy family, but not how you think. My father took a train to work every morning (we owned no car). My mother arose at four AM every morning to work in a bakery across the street from our third-floor apartment in which we lived. My sister and I walked to school every day carrying our deluxe lunches of lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches. My father always told us before he left for work that God loves and protects us, and we should not be afraid of anything as we go to school. It was a code we were taught to live by. That was over 70 years ago. I have had a very good life, a sometimes-rough life, but a good life. My wife and I (together 57 years) live quietly, enjoy our children and grandchildren and occasionally get the chance to travel. My father was correct, God does not expect us to go it alone. Every time I fell, God was behind me to help me get back on my feet. With love of both God, my wife, and a lot of hard work, we gave life with lots of love to a healthy family hopefully raised in the old-fashioned way. As we begin a new year, we see our world as a very scary dangerous world. I see the headlines and there are no safe places to hide from those who want to do harm to whomever is in the way. New Orleans, Arizona, Virginia; individuals or groups have the intent to do harm to innocent people everywhere. My only defense is an offense, and that is to have love and peace in my heart and on my lips at all times, and to know that Love casts out all fears. So, trust God. You are not alone. God loves you.
Meditating to Heal 
Leave a comment