What Can One Do?

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Awakened, awareness, caring, challenges, concern, mindful, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Last night we had a thunderstorm that rumbled for quite awhile and poured torrents of rain on our land as if every cloud was ripped open and burst all at once. I had a moment of wishing to go out and stand under the rain to be washed clean but the lightning convinced me to take a safer path. Looking out the window into the dark was not as fulfilling but definitely a more adult option.

Suddenly there was a thunderclap that woke those who were asleep and called us all to gather in one place in the house. Had a tree fallen? Was there an electrical outage? It truly sounded like two giant boulders smashing into one another. There was nothing to do but sit in the dark and wait. After some moments we expected nothing more than a continuation of the rain, the weakened effort of the the thunder and lightning, and a surrender to the night. But were we changed?

Anything can be a call to awareness. There are places in our country where the storm that disturbed us for a moment was wreaking havoc for inhabitants as a hurricane. Were we concerned for their safety last night? If we had been living in one of the war zones in the world, that moment might have been catastrophic. Are we mindful of the “hotspots” in the world? Do we consider the dangers that some people face every day of their lives? We are living now in the midst of a pandemic. Has it changed us for the better, made us more mindful and caring of people less fortunate than we are? How do we meet the challenges of each day now?

I wonder what one thing I will do, one thought I will think today to make someone happier…to care for someone in need…to be grateful for my life.

The Power of Image

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image, interpretation, Jesus, mindful, putting the mind into the heart, spiritual teachers, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wisdom work

I’ve been sitting for quite awhile this morning with nothing worthwhile to say and nowhere to go to find assistance from one of the many books that surround me. I was on the verge of admitting that this moment — while obviously of great import in the life of the world — is unable to be captured in any language that I possess. While that is still true, I now have something to offer.

Each day I wait to see what our talented and thoughtful internet expert adds to my blog as a visual message. I love the pictures that Mary Pat finds to enhance my words. I am sometimes challenged, often amazed and delighted but always grateful for her skill and interpretation. Today as I clicked on the “admin” page, ready to admit that all I had to offer was my silence, I glanced at yesterday’s post which I had yet to see published and immediately found today’s message in the image that greeted me.

One of the most important tenets/objectives of the wisdom work that I have attempted to understand and make real in my life is “putting the mind into the heart.” It isn’t easy to let go of thinking and measuring and judging and all the things that keep us from opening to grace and willingness and, in a word, to love. That is, however, what I have come to know as the most important and reasonable and simple (but not easy) message of Jesus and other spiritual teachers. And there it was in an image this morning on my very own blog page from yesterday. A perfect way to begin another week of dealing with the pandemic that has stopped us in our tracks and calls us to be mindful of our every move and moment.

Who could ask for anything more?

Suspension

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mindful, suspend judgment, The Mindfulness Summit, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It’s interesting how things show up on the internet when I am in need of a “jump-start” for my brain. I’m presenting a day on mindfulness in a time of transition this coming Sunday. The first thing I saw when scrolling for early news this morning was a message from Melli O’Brien (Mrs. Mindfulness) on her website called The Mindfulness Summit that always calls readers to “change your world from the inside out.” Today she has a quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn that got me thinking. It said the following.

Being mindful means that we suspend judgment for a time, set aside our immediate goals for the future, and take in the present moment as it is rather than as we would like it to be.

Simple, right? Well, maybe not so much. What I like, however, is that the idea does not tell us to give up our capacity for mindfulness altogether but rather to suspend judgment for a time – likely just enough time to get clear and then forge ahead. I can live with that. Can you?

Giving Thanks

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gratitude, mindful, music, St. Cecilia, thanks, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I awoke in the dark before 6:00am this morning and pulled up blankets that had been displaced in the night, grateful for the warmth they afforded. When I opened my eyes again at 8:02 (!) it was to blazing sun and clear blue skies and I gave thanks. I have just finished drinking a large mug of coffee while sitting in the comfortable chair that embraces me and I smile in gratitude. I have already begun a litany in my head of graces I have received, people I have loved and still love, companions on the journey all. For meaningful work and co-workers, for childhood friends and family, for religious community and Church congregations, I give thanks. 

Today is the feast of St. Cecilia, patron of musicians, and she seems the perfect soulmate for the celebration of Thanksgiving Day. I cannot imagine a life without music and give thanks for all the great musicians who have lifted my spirits – and my body in dance – with their talent and creativity.

Already there is a turkey waiting to be cooked and a table ready to be decorated, a special grace to be written with an acknowledgment of those who still do not have what we have to be shared. We are so very blessed and are aware that that giving back is the best manifestation of gratitude. We are called to spread the light of love and do so gratefully on this day.

May we all be mindful of what is most important in life as we share ourselves on this feast. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Bigger Barns

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bigger barns, clothing, hearts, Luke, Marty Haugen, mindful, possessions, purging, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, too much, treasure

Yesterday I had another of those conversations about what some of us have come to call “bigger barns.” As “girls” often do, we were admiring someone’s lovely clothing. As is also frequently the case, the woman in question said she found it on sale and just couldn’t leave it in the store. She then proceeded to lament her full closet and her intention to clean out and let go of things she hadn’t worn in more than a year. We all agreed we tend to wear the same few outfits, maybe pairing different blouses with skirts or slacks but eventually noticing that we wear what is comfortable and those items in our closet that we like best. So why do we hold on so tightly to all the rest…?

I can easily join in to these conversations, amazed that I have accumulated such a large wardrobe. To be fair, most of my closet is filled with “hand-me-overs” – lovely clothes that have belonged to my sister or a close friend when they were new. Still, the point can be made that too much is always too much. What shall I do with all of this as we move from summer into winter? I could just invest in a couple of (additional) storage bins, the kind that fit under a bed or on a shelf…”Bigger barns!” I hear my inner voice shouting as I read the lectionary gospel text for today (LK 12:13-21). This time of purging my wardrobe – which I do hope will actually happen today – I will be mindful of all those who have “lost everything” in recent hurricanes, floods and fires. Moreover, I will hear again some of those people who, in the midst of their lament, say that “God is good; all of my family has survived.” It’s then that I hear Marty Haugen singing, “Where your treasure is, there your heart shall be. All that you possess will never set you free. Seek the things that last; come and learn from me. Where your treasure is your heart shall be.”