Working With Others

I have had the honor of working with many people of all ages and backgrounds over the years. I always keep in mind that the objective of my working with them is their growth and development not my own. My objective is to serve their needs, an idea expressed nicely by Walsch when he commented that "A true Master is not the one with the most students, but the one who creates the most Masters. A true leader is not the one with the most followers, but the one who creates the most leaders. A true king is not the one with the most subjects, but the one who leads the most to royalty. A true teacher is not the one with the most knowledge, but the one who causes the most others to have knowledge." The other idea I keep in mind is that "a master craftsman leaves no trace", meaning if they do well and think I had nothing to do with it, I have done my job well.

Difficulties

During the past twenty-eight year of my disability I have encountered and overcome many difficulties and when in the midst of those problems I certainly did not recognize them as gifts or see any benefits. At this point I can see that because of those difficulties I am much further along in my spiritual journey. I am reminded of the comment by Walsch, that "each circumstance is a gift, and in each experience is hidden a treasure." 　For example, I found many years ago that I could use deep meditation to overcome the chronic pain and some of the spasticity of my disability so I do. I now use the same meditation for many things.

Discernment

I have moved from Arizona to Maryland and I am poised to be of service to the people in this area. As far as I can tell, what seems right is to settle in to this house and establish myself in this area while also being a quiet but positive presence of love, connection and forgiveness. That’s enough for right now. In the words of De Mello "God weaves perfect designs with the threads of our lives," he said. "Even with our sins. We can’t see this because we’re looking at the reverse side of the tapestry." Using prayer, meditation and contemplation I can discern what is right for me today.

Holistic Healing

Today I exercised, grocery shopped for the week, sanded a developing bread board, cleaned toilets, did a load of laundry and assisted with dinner. I felt tremendous gratitude throughout remembering that in 1988 I was in much worse shape and could not have done any of those things. I had just been diagnosed with a chronic, progressive neurological disorder and told I would never improve, but continue to worsen. I owe my partial recovery to holistic healing and unconditional love. In the words of St. Faustina "Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God [love]."

Life of Prayer

Today was Christmas, a day to celebrate Christ’s birth, which I do. Having spent a good part of the day socializing and talking about technology, food, work, cars and weather I have to admit that I feel lost since those things mean little to me. I keep talking about, living and contemplating love, connection, eternity and the Absolute. I am reminded of the words of Thomas H. Green, S.J. "The life of prayer is perhaps the most mysterious dimension of all human experience. We come to be at home with a God we cannot see. We discover that it is only by giving ourselves away totally that we truly come to possess ourselves, that we are most free when most surrendered. We begin to realize that light is darkness and darkness light. We become lost in a trackless desert — and then, if we persevere despite our disorientation, we begin to realize that it is only being lost, in losing ourselves, that we are found. The whole of our life and not just our prayer life, becomes a paradox, an apparent contradiction concealing and revealing a deeper truth, because we begin to realize that we must live as we pray".