Shining Spirit

Years ago, when I rode my bike in an El Tour de Tucson, I looked at the race route the day before to become familiar with Turning Points, key locations where “significant change occurs.” Turn right. Turn left. Ignore Turning Points and you might end up in Eloy wondering where the other bikes are. Turning Points.

As I get older, I feel like the number of Turning Points in my life are increasing and the time between them is decreasing. Life speeds up as I slow down. And there’s the reality that sometimes a Turning Point is necessary but unwanted, maybe even a little scary. Perhaps you’ve had a Turning Point or two in your lifetime. Take a minute soon and make a list of the Turning Points you’ve experienced, those times of “significant change” in your own life. The “good” ones and the not so good ones. They all make up who you are and who I am.

So, here comes the point. You can flip a coin, or draw straws, or roll the dice when a Turning Point shows up; you can consult your friends or seek professional advice, but don’t overlook that still, small voice among the many. Your heart, your spirit or you soul is sending a little reminder: come to The Wisdom, listen to The Words of Your Heart. Don’t be afraid to ask: Master, Teacher, Companion what is the basic principle of Spirit that informs this situation, this moment in my life. What should I do? What would you do? What shall we do?

Then listen to your heart speak to your mind. It takes courage to face some Turning Points, and isn’t it nice to have a Companion Friend whose wisdom is available for the asking? Whose courage and compassion help us take the next step?

Final thought: If you don’t want the answer, don’t ask the question. If you do want it, He’s there.

The chicken or the egg?

When it comes to things of the Spirit, the question becomes: Do I understand in order to believe? Or, do I believe in order to understand? There is a difference. Think about it. Which comes first: faith or reason. In a world of scientific discovery, reason and logic rule supreme. Prove it and I’ll believe it. Prove it and it is true. But theology doesn’t work that way. What can be proved about God? So, many people walk away from religion because there is no empirical evidence, no proof. At the same time, others say faith doesn’t require proof…I guess that’s why it’s called Faith.

But while some of us are debating the question as if it is the most important issue in the world, people are walking away from the conversation and labeling it all “irrelevant”. A recent study by the Pew Foundation, reported widely in news broadcasts, projects that, if trends continue as they are today, by the year 2070, Christianity will claim about 37% of the U.S. population. Two decades will make a huge difference. And some people would say that a large part of the contributing factors in this decline is the matter of relevance. The “chicken-egg” debate is of some interest, but does it address the realities of living in a volatile, violent world?

The answer to this dilemma is to sit down with the one for whom Christianity was named and to ask: “Where did we go wrong?” And I think it’s likely that we will hear: when passion became power, when compassion became control, when self-sacrifice became self-interest. Perpetuating the program is not the first work of the church or religious institutions. It’s about people. All about people. Let’s put away the podiums of debate about who is right and who is wrong. In their place, let’s issue bowls and towels. While riding my bike yesterday I turned a corner to find a homeless woman stretched out across the path. She appeared to be unconscious, but in a moment she opened her eyes and adjusted the ragged clothes she wore. It was a frightening, sad moment. What was I to do? So, I asked her if she believed in the Nicene Creed. She didn’t seem to understand. The better choice was what really happened. I sat with her until help arrived, until caring hands began to minister to her needs.

Bowls and towels will overcome the potential drop to thirty-seven percent in the next two decades. But it’s not about survival, is it. It’s about serving in His name. And, it’s about time.

Lord, show me the road that takes me home.
I’m lost and afraid and very alone.
I long for the place where peace can be found.
Show me the way to my sacred ground,
a place made holy because you are there,
the quiet pasture of your love and care.

Lord, guide me to the path that takes me home.
I’ve lost my way; I’m on my own.
I need to feel the joy once more,
the kind that touches the deepest core,
the place where hope and healing meet,
where love and grace overcome defeat.

Is there room for me at the table there?
Is there space, do you think, for an extra chair?
I don’t deserve a welcome hand,
my life has not followed a sensible plan,
but today, for reasons I don’t understand,
I stand before you a different man.

I’ll take the chance that love lives still.
Is that the road, Lord, just over the hill?
To the left? To the right? I’ll follow your lead.
I’m finished with my arrogant, insistence greed.
I just want to knock on the front porch door,
and find the love that I knew before.

Lord, show me the road that takes me home.
I’m so very tired of being alone.

Elvis Presley sang about it. Tony Bennet left his in San Francisco. We talk about the ” ” of the matter, meaning the most important. Country Western singers couldn’t sing without mentioning it. Sometimes it’s broken with sadness or grief. Sometimes it “swells within our chests” with pride over the accomplishment of a child or grandchild. Quite literally, you can’t live without one.

Recently I thought about the old saying: “Home is where the heart is” and I came to a profound conclusion. I don’t have a home. I am without “a” home. But, I have more homes that the average multi-billionaire. If home is “a place of emotional connection,” I’ve got quite a few. Or, a “place of fond memories”: lots of those. Or, being near family or loved ones. A very long list! A man once said to Jesus: Lord, I will follow you wherever you go, to which Jesus replied (and I paraphrase): I don’t have a home. Foxes and birds have homes, but I don’t. Still want to come along? “Home is where the heart is.” He left a little piece of his heart in so many places: where the blind received sight, where life was restored, where he sat that day and held children in his lap. A little piece here; a little piece there. There are fragments of me, and you, scattered all over this world. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be. He did and we do, because we put our feet in his footsteps and follow his lead.

So, today risk it. Live fully. Love without limits. Leave a little piece of your heart wherever you go. And you will have many beautiful homes, because “home is where the heart is.” Even little pieces of it.

The water was so smooth just above this spot. Two ducks floated peacefully on the quiet surface as I took the picture. And, just below this churning chaos the water was once again calm. It’s those rocks beneath the surface that cause the disruption, those unseen and perhaps unexpected obstacles. Just when I want and need rest, just when things are finally going right, just when I’m feeling good about myself and my faith — Rocks! And when those sudden disruptions happen, like the people in the big pontoon boats braving the river though Grand Canyon, hold on, steer wisely. There might even be a prayer or two whispered. Rocks are everywhere. No one avoids them entirely. Take a moment and think about the last time your boat was rocked. What got you through it?

A little slice of life for your reflection.

Today my prayer will not be petitions and promises. I will not “ask for,” but I will “act with” all that I already possess. I will trust that the words Jesus spoke were true, directions not suggestions, and meant to be applied, not simply appreciated.

I will live in the world of “as if” and I will say to myself: don’t be afraid, act “as if” you have courage, for you do; love “as if” love will heal, because it will; forgive “as if” forgiveness will restore and reconcile, because it does.

And before I fall into sleep tonight, I will say to this day: “Amen.” And I will say to the Spirit, my companion, “thank you.” And I will say to God: “I tried and I will try again in the Light of tomorrow.” Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done. Day by day. Prayer by prayer. Then I will close my eyes and drift into sleep, knowing that I am held in the arms of God.

Amen

She was a gentle soul.
She never considered herself strong,
but she was. It took strength coupled
with courage to sort out and play
the cards she was dealt.
But the game was fixed, and she
never had a chance to become
herself. She never really met her
“self” because she gave it away,
not reluctantly, to stray cats,
people in need, the fantasy of
finding love, the job she did
every day of her adult life, the
work of her church, and to the
boy-child who was the brightest
star in her universe.

She lived with uncommon dignity,
grew old without the benefit of
being young, pinched pennies and
gave herself away. She was the
quiet sacrifice that made life possible.

I remember her today with love, deep
appreciation and admiration. My regret
is that she never heard enough the words:
“I love you, Mom.”

Note: I hope this reflection triggers your
own remembering.

How much of my life will I give away today?
How many hours to reading a book,
or taking a nap, or talking to my friend
or my child, or worrying about things
I can’t change, or trying to change things
that don’t need to be changed?
Add up the hours of needless nothing,
plus the hours of meaningful engagement,
subtract them from the time on my dance card,
and…wait, how many hours do I have
left to dance or drift in my distractions?
Finite. That’s the word. So, once more:
how much of my life will I invest today in
things that matter and things that don’t?
Things that have consequence, and the
irritating irrelevancies?

Is it worth a minute or an hour out of my
account to engage in this thought
or that action? Invest wisely.
Remember: “This is the day the Lord has made…”
A non-refundable gift.
Don’t botch it up.

I once knew a man who collected pens, writing instruments, all shapes and sizes, various ink colors, some quite inexpensive, some rather pricey. Didn’t make him a better writer.

Or, the woman who assembled a wonderful library. Such a variety of books. Shelves covered two walls of her family room. Didn’t make her better educated; she never read any of them.

“…wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.”

Today is “Make It Happen Day.” You’ve wanted to have a better relationship with your neighbor…make it happen today. Finish that project…make it happen. Make the phone call, write the letter…make it happen this day. Some things are out of your influence or control, but you’re in charge when you take charge.

I’ve always been drawn to the New Testament Paul’s advice to his young colleague Timothy: “…God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” Why not have a conversation with Christ about your hesitancy, then, with the encouragement that comes from the conversation, you can work together to Make It Happen. Today.

First you make your way slowly along a very busy, major roadway, then you turn onto a small road lined on both sides by quite un-spectacular bushes. They look hot and thirsty in the desert sun. Then you make a couple of blind turns along the narrow road until THERE IT IS! It’s an oasis in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. What a sight this must have been two hundred years ago when humans or animals came upon it and found refreshment. It’s still an attractive, natural spot where you can go for space away from Interstates and intersections. My dictionary says about an oasis: “something serving as a refuge, relief or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc.”

You know the question, don’t you? Oasis. So, what’s the answer? Do you have one? Where do you go physically or mentally or spiritually? It’s a wise person who carries a map to her or his oasis, who knows the way to the place of refuge and renewal. I have several close friends with whom I share coffee or breakfast regularly. Oasis. I got a text yesterday from someone who wrote one word: “Thirsty?” I knew exactly what that meant. Oasis time at a little pub nearby. I have a book of spiritual wisdom and truth that says things like: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we (I) will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea…” And here’s the best news of all: I can turn off the busy, sometimes dangerous road, and into the oasis of Creative Quiet because Jesus has put up the direction signs, shows me the way.

Everybody needs an oasis. I hope you have one or will find one. There’s room in mine if you’re searching for rest or renewal. If you’re uncertain about directions, just sit down in a quiet corner, take a few deep breaths, and let your mind/spirit create a picture of a Shepherd in a peaceful, lush pasture, of sheep resting in the green grass, of a little stream that is peaceful and serene. Among the sheep there is one that raises his head and looks your way. That’s me! Come on over. This is the Oasis. There is always room for you here.