There has been so much going on in the past two months...not so much inwardly, unfortunately, but outwardly. The busyness of life sometimes takes over and makes one shirk the responsibilities of one's inner life....spirit and soul life. That's not good.
It's usually circumstances of one sort or another that brings a person to, once again, face the realities of their own lives. I like to think that I've been doing a fairly superb job at being a good..._____fill in the blank. It could be friend....boss....parent....wife....or any number of possibilities that one can think of. When we are faced head on with our short-comings, however, life takes a bit of a spin. It initially begins with our feeling incompetent, which in turn, leads us to feeling somewhat overwhelmed at our failures and then we begin the downward spiral into melancholy.
However, there is another way to face these "incompetencies". It's realizing that, yes, we are constantly failing at one thing or another and then not to turn inwardly, but to ponder over this realization and think about how one can make the situation better.
It involves that tiny little word....e g o...
So small.
So significant.
It shouts, "I'm important!" "Make me first!" "I'm your #1 priority!"
That constant wailing should bring us up short.
I'm beginning to learn that letting go of those things that seem to matter most in life, is the beginning of disallowing my little E G O to have it's way with me. Yes, I said "beginning to"! You'd think after 66 years of living, I could have learned how to not trust anything that I think may make me look better than I really am.
I'm learning things. How to speak more clearly. How to confront lovingly. How to express feelings that are genuine and caring. I think I have been doing those things to a degree, but you know, there is always a great deal of RFI (room for improvement). This is a part too, of our church's "Behavioral Covenant", where it says something to the effect..."we need to speak openly and honestly with one another and to offer our opinions with love and humility." Things like that. It takes practice. It takes work. It takes failure. Only when we fail, do we realize our need for those RFI's!!!!
So, it's not just in church matters, or work-related matters...it's also in family matters too.
We must do many things to really see change come into effect. Setting priorities. Doing some meditating. Letting go of our ego. Letting go of our "things", which include opinions, thoughts, jewelry, judgments, furniture, cars, sons, grandchildren, relationships, wives/husbands, pets, houses, trips, daughters, church, work.....ya. That's quite a bit of "letting go", I'd say. It means too, to let go of these things that become first place in our lives in order for God to take rightful place. The first of the Ten Commandments state: "You shall have no other gods before me." These "things" in our lives can take over and become little gods to us...can take over in the number one spot.
Actually, Jesus says it best: "...anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first."
Personally, I like the "whatever" part! It seems to include much of life! But when our priorities are wrong, we end up last. Switch those priorities around (and that means making the decision to do so coming from the heart) then we end up first! It's what Jesus said, at least.
So, I shall continue on this course of improvement. Should you see me acting unbecomingly and contrary to all I have mentioned here, please feel free to approach me and make me accountable. It's what love does.
As the song goes..."...these are a few of my favorite things". Am I willing to let them take a back seat...even my family, in order for God to be number one?
Good question. It's become a priority.....I'm working on it...
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