The Source of Your Significance

I was sharing with a friend this week that I sometimes struggle with the feeling of being overlooked in life. It comes from some childhood experiences, but remains a consistent piece of my personality. I continue to recognize this feeling and work with it. My friend asked a question that stopped me in my tracks:

What is the source of your significance?

Rephrase. What reminds you that you're important in the world? What provides a gut-deep knowledge that you are significant?

My first reaction was, "Well, God is the source." But a moment later, I wasn't sure that was true. Yes, true out in the world, but perhaps not a truthful answer to this question of my significance and what is the source in reality. We often see ourselves as sources for change, pushing change into the world through our will and perseverance. Is that our significance, our personal contribution?

The darkness of this season may keep us a little closer to home, a little less eager to rush out and be a change agent. In the dark, no longer able to see clearly, we may be more ready to stop, to receive, to listen, to wait.  To focus on our Inner Light. To let silence and meditation bring forth an understanding of our true significance. In the dark, that Inner Light can smolder, refuel, recharge. When the longer days come, we'll be ready with a better comprehension of our purpose, a way forward.

May you find your way. Amen.

Taking a Deep Breath

God has a way of showing us our direction, and human experts often advise us to look at our current mix of activities to discern where our focus has shifted. My shift has been to new opportunities in my consulting business and in my growing ministry as an Eldercare Information Guide. Support to family and friends under stress has also increased recently (Life happens!).

Given life, I've decided to pause in posting here for a while and free up time just to listen to the Spirit's urging.

For Newcomers to this Blog, welcome! Take some time to browse. For all my readers, I'll still be monitoring for comments, so do be in touch. To see the direction of my ministry-business, check out Parentcare 101.

God is with us while we are apart. Blessings!

Lessons from a Mystery Writer

I'm slowly reading through a book by best-selling author Nevada Barr entitled "Seeking Enlightenment Hat by Hat: A Skeptic's Path to Religion". If you don't know her writing, Ms. Barr created the character Anna Pigeon for a series of contemporary mysteries, each one set in a different US National Park. The fact that the author is a former park ranger just gives the whole series that extra ring of authenticity.

"Seeking Enlightenment" is a joy.

The religion she ultimately travels to is the Episcopal Church, but this book has UU Christian written all over it. The book includes over 40 essays, each a few pages in length about a specific topic: Fear, Children of God, Sex, Humility, Stillness.

Stillness is a continuing source of challenge for me; that's why I write so much about it. Nevada Barr reminds us that the yak and yammer of our lives give us the sense that we are so-o-o important and there may be a myriad of connections we sustain, but there is no relationship. To truly relate, she says, there must first be stillness. It takes two to build a relationship and if we do not take the quiet time to know ourselves and our needs, we will never be able to relate to anyone else, especially God. Here come the buts, our arguments for not slowing down--but I have to..., but I'm expected to..., but if I don't...

In essence, when I say those things, I am saying: "I am too important to stop. I am too important to take the time for this 'knowing God' nonsense". I am giving into the belief that all I have to offer is the running of errands, commenting on the lives around me. I am not offering myself, merely my time and attention.
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Time and attention are all well and good, but they're surface giving, not relating and connecting; responding to the roles we all play, not to the essence of another person.

Nevada suggests to remind yourself "a hundred times a day" to turn down the static, take a breath and return to your own skin.

Without the stillness, we can't filter out life's jangling noise. Without emptying silence, we have no room to fill up with meaningful communication.

Be still.