As the days flow into weeks we continue to be “staying in place” with no real end in sight. How are you doing? You are in my prayers daily… I pray for your good health both body and mind. With the weather warming up, getting out and walking does wonders for our well-being as we see nature coming alive with new life everywhere.
On Sunday we stretched even further than we have with technology by having Claudia Carawan as our guest musician. Claudia has been a friend of mine for many years and it was nice to be able to introduce her to our community. Thank you, Deana, for stretching with me to make this happen. I just heard back from Daniel Namond, and he will join us live on June 7.
A new series began on Sunday based on the book What’s in the Way IS the Way by Mary O’Malley. I think you are going to enjoy this series. This book invites us to let go of making life a struggle and just enjoy the adventure that it truly is. How fitting as we are in the midst of this pandemic.
O’Malley believes as we do that we carry a sense of well-being with us always. She uses the meadow as a metaphor for our OKness. As children we live in the meadow. Everything is new and exciting… we view everything with curiosity. As we grow thoughts begin to fill our head and start to tell ourselves stories about ourselves and about Life. The clouds in the sky begin to lower and circle around our heads. At first they are just wispy clouds that don’t fully block our experience of the meadow.
All you can see are the ever-shifting clouds in your mind. Most people live in a cloud of ideas about Life with which they struggle, rather than directly experiencing life itself. The clouds of ideas and the struggle separate us from knowing our OKness at the heart of Life in the Meadow.
Mary provides tools to stay in the meadow.
Tool No. 1 is Going into the Heart
Your Heart is an energy center that “fills your whole being with its wisdom energy.”
Remember someone you care about and allow yourself to feel that care deeply. Notice your chest expanding and opening up.
Now think about something that makes you angry; notice how your heart’s energy center closes down.
It is your heart rather than your mind that is the source of wisdom, healing, and love, and it is very smart.
We can also develop compassionate curiosity. When the mind is curious, we learn to live in mystery instead of story. Life becomes an adventure.
Pause: Take a moment to listen to Life… notice the sounds around you… spend a few seconds on one sound and then move to another sound…
Did you notice you were not thinking… you were using your mind to be curious about life rather than thinking about it… you were experiencing the moment…
Tool No. 2 is Curiosity
Compassionate curiosity allows you to watch your thoughts rather than get caught up in them, so you have a choice to unhook from them by turning your attention to what is actually happening, not your ideas about it. You can also then move into the wisdom of your heart.
Mary writes: Simply let all pass through you, knowing that at any moment only a small part of you has a problem with Life. The rest of you is at peace.
CALL TO ACTION
To know that we are always OK and we trust Life to give us what we need, but not necessarily what we want.
We have the ability to see life as a series of events that are happening for us, not to us. Whatever is in the way is the way! Our lessons challenge us so they can lead us back to our hearts!
Here is an affirmation for you: RIGHT NOW, THIS IS LIFE, AND IT’S OKAY!
You are a blessing in my life,
Rev. Patricia Bessey
If you are having a birthday in May, I have a gift for you. It is meeting with me and completing an Annual Spiritual Checkup. We can do this by using Zoom, Skype or telephone. Let me know when your birthday is and that you would like to schedule a time to receive your gift. You can contact me here.
For your safety, continue to social distance and wear face masks. The church building remains closed for gatherings of all services and group meetings. All business with the church office needs to be via telephone or email.
LET’S STAY CONNECTED!
Labyrinths are ancient geometric figures. One leaves one’s worries and stress at the entrance and walks meditatively to the middle. As one walks to the center she/he becomes centered within her/himself, calmer, and more grounded. 
