Grace

 I have a friend who needs surgery. It’s not urgent, but it needs to happen at some point to relieve pain and current difficulties. She was scheduled to receive that surgery this week, but in her final consultation a few days ago, she learned that rather than the two week recovery time for which she’d prepared, she would need a full six weeks. She opted to wait until she could prepare for such an extended recovery time.

A few days prior to when the surgery was originally scheduled, she learned that her work hours would be cut. The industry in which she works has suffered great losses since the pandemic, and was facing further loss. If she had gone ahead with the surgery, she would have been placed in the position of being unable to pay her rent. The consequences would have been dire.

When I thought about the timing involved, I concluded that while the situation is still scary for her, she is in a position of strength. She gets to decide, based upon all aspects of her situation, when it will be an optimum time to go ahead with the surgery. This, to me, is an example of Grace. Santa Claus God didn’t take all the troubles away, but Divine Grace interceded to ease the process.

We humans, as we are in Life School, face many obstacles. How we handle them is how we learn, grow, and develop the compassion to help others. Ofttimes, we need the edges of the rocks in our path smoothed. This is Grace. As we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death”, we can steadfastly move forward, knowing that Divine Grace is with us, every step of the way.

We the People

 Today’s date marks the third anniversary of the apex of idolatry in America. This date must be remembered as one which showed us all how fragile our unique system of government is. That one demagogue could incite such senseless fury based on nothing but an outsized ego and refusal to allow truth to prevail, is utterly frightening.

This man’s apologists released an ad yesterday claiming that God Himself had chosen this one man to save us all. It is an abomination, an affront to those who actually believe in the tenets of the teachings of the Master Teacher Jesus. Anyone who isn’t this particular brand of “Christian” is an enemy. 

My freedom to express my thoughts is a treasure. Your freedom to reject my, or anyone’s, thoughts is an absolute right. These basics are but two of the freedoms under attack right now. 

Let me say this clearly: Donald J. Trump is NOT the “second coming” of Christ. Those who believe such utter nonsense have no place in our government, yet they are there, from top to bottom. This is a festering wound upon the Republic, and must be recognized, confronted, and rooted out. Those who would legislate based purely on a skewed belief system, one which can’t be explained or proven, one which claims superiority because of a religious fervor, must be voted out.

I like to keep things light; to find the joy and beauty in the moment, and to recognize the wonder of the Love which created the universe (my belief). This day, however, is one which must be recognized and remembered. It is our Kristallnacht. 

Let freedom ring! May peace prevail upon the earth, and let it begin with us, we the people.

To Opt In or Not to Opt In; That is the Conundrum

 I was relating an incident—the only one, as far as I can recall—of lucid dreaming, where, in the middle of a dream where I was marveling over a wood carving, my conscious mind told me “if you can imagine it in your dream, you can make it in real life”. I was stunned into waking, and have remembered the wonder of the feeling ever since. After telling others what my mind told me, I threw in the comment that of course, I couldn’t. I was immediately challenged into getting real with myself. Of course I can! My conscious mind was telling me the truth! 

Just like the idea of resolutions being fulfilled by taking doable steps, I realize that if I were to try to copy my dream carving without first taking the time to learn the basics, then my statement that I couldn’t do it would be absolutely true. I’d be trying to go from zero to eighty without knowing how to start the engine. 

I don’t know if carving wood is something I’d actually try, although my first husband was a very talented wood carver, and I loved to watch him make shapes appear in their fluid forms. I have his tools. I could give it a go.

There are so many things I want to accomplish! Learn to paint, learn ASL and Spanish and French and…, sew a dress, make some dolls, do something creative! My problem is the zero to eighty one. I may have the keys, but I don’t know which vehicle is mine! And, if I were to find it, I’d want to race to the finish line without learning how to control the machine.

Ah, aspirations! I think that for today, I will tackle the things on my to-do list. I may consider which goal I’d like to start, then study step one. Or maybe I’ll leave that for tomorrow.

Such a conundrum!

Welcome to the New Year!

 Welcome to where all the “l’ll start tomorrow”s meet at once. The place where “this time I really mean it” meets the stark reality of the difficulty of radical change. Oh, my! Will I ever reach my goals? It’s all too much!

What I’ve learned from my 12-step communities is to break down the large, seemingly impossible goals, into doable steps. They make the impossible possible—slowly, surely, one day at a time. They help to erase the idea of starting when the time is “right”, because the only right time is right now. There is no need to feel overwhelmed as I concentrate on one small habit from which to build my future self. I’ll be my future self anyway if I’m still on this side of the dirt, so I may as well begin!

I salute all the commitments to being better versions of ourselves, and I offer this advice: be kind to yourself when slips happen, but resume plodding on your chosen path as quickly as possible. Measure your progress and give yourself an attaboy/girl for all your successes, no matter how large or small. Remember always that you are forever accepted and acceptable, just as you are. If anything, any practice, or any person makes you feel “less than”, then it isn’t right for you.

Welcome, fellow pilgrims, to the fresh start, this new day in this new year!