Purging

When life seems overwhelming I begin to purge. This includes paper, old files, anything I can find in closets that just needs to go; clothing, containers, old stuff, and sometimes new stuff. Our neighbor whose husband is dying of cancer and is not expected to live much longer is purging her garage, her home and her fridge even as her husband gently rests. Purging is our way of letting go of the stuff of life. Mostly the stuff of life is not material goods found in closets, garages, files and refrigerators, but the mental tensions, frustrations, sorrows, worries, and emotional baggage carried for months and often a lifetime. Letting go of things prepares to let go of the heavier weights of the mind and heart. I reflect on my own purging of things and it is usually when I am sad or worried and in the letting go, the act of getting rid of rid, my mind eases and I can usually find rest in my mind. As our friend Ruth purges her refrigerator and garage, I am aware that her impulsive need to purge things will make space in her heart for all of the goodness and love she and her beloved Lee have known. In the end it is not the material that remains it is a heart filled with loving memories and mind filled with peace.

Living Waters

Father Ryan our priest gave a beautiful homily on the gospel story of the woman at the well who both drinks of the living water of Jesus and, as Fr. Ryan stated, becomes the living well for others. The living waters are present always and I am deeply aware of the living waters in our family who are enjoying good health even as our father arrived at the hospital this past Thursday night having difficulty breathing and found he needed a new pacemaker which was put in on Friday and back home Saturday. Living waters, as Fr. Ryan indicated, are possible for all us to be for one another through saying kind words, forgiving and loving all. So much metaphor to living waters where life in the sea, rivers, ponds can be filled with magnificent beauty. Being a former scuba diver, the ocean, filled with life and underwater noise is minimal, weightlessness creates a lightness of being and sea life abundant, living waters feel free and beautiful. Lightness of being on land is possible when one knows in their heart the living waters that are within. Sometimes the living waters overflow so much that I feel as though I am floating. Now is one of those times.

Soften my heart

Harden not your heart so that you may hear God's wisdom. Last night I was frustrated over the world's financial collapse and the personal turmoil for those directly impacted and for all. However I knew that it is not in frustration that things improve but with thoughtful action. My action was first to teach yoga for my friend James who had another commitment. In arriving at yoga, a dear friend and student had indicated her husband had been out of work for more then 9 months and in her sharing came tears. She composed herself. I wish I told her to just let the tears fall. The yoga practice was rigorous and yet healing. Sometimes in the movement of the body we can eliminate some stress and frustration to the mind and heart. This morning I knew that meditation was necessary to allow my heart to soften and to listen in the silence for wisdom from my God. In the softening of my heart, I became open to generosity and to a creative response of offering a free yoga class to anyone who wants to attend. If they choose to make a donation, I will offer it to St. Vincent de Paul to further their ability to offer generous service for our poor. Soften your heart today and see what opens in possibility.

Prayer

I am finding lately that I have become prayerful. I have always prayed here and there, a rosary, requests for people's health and well being, and prayers of gratitude. Lately though I am realizing that when I have done what I can do and am not sure what else to do, I just pray. "What is prayer?" I asked my friend Pete this question some 7 years ago and he said prayer is an intention for something. In the intention the actions follow. His clear concise explanation and the belief behind his explanation has been a deep blessing and have enhanced my prayer life. Prayer comes in many forms including the ones we learn as children, saying a rosary is like a mantra and with it comes peace often falling into a restful nap. The Our Father, one all Christians learn, and taught from Jesus, the Son of God. When one really says and listens to the words and lives the words in the Our Father, life changes. "Our Father, who art in heaven hallowed be thy name", (where is heaven) heaven is found everywhere, "thy kingdom come", the kingdom comes when God's will is done on earth as in heaven (what is God's will), it is to love, it is to forgive, "Give us this day our daily bread" (what is the bread) it is peace, joy, kindness, gratitude, sharing, caring, and many other acts we do or have done for us, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others" - no question here, "and lead us not into temptation" (what are your temptations), mine include gluttony, busyness, sloth, anger, the usual, "but deliver us from evil" what are the evils - hurting others tops the list through slander, gossip, criticisms other things I can't think of now, but you have your own lists of evils. When we engage in deep understanding and living the Our Father, we begin a prayer life. Beyond this prayer, is another level of prayer and that is living the gospel message through action. For example when we pray for the poor to have better lives, what can we do to enable that e.g., give money, make visits, stop to chat with the homeless on the streets. When we pray for the sick, are we then inspired to go visit friends or those unknown alone in the hospitals? Prayer life is demanding of action. Living a prayerful life includes silence so that one can hear the prayerful intentions of others and move to action.

Begin To Create Inspiration

Occasionally writing my blog is more difficult. Today is one of those days. I have many ideas but nothing concrete enough to formulate a cohesive blog entry. So today I just open the blog entry and begin writing what comes to mind and this is it. I am using my stream of consciousness to find inspiration to write by just beginning somewhere. How important is just to begin a powerful lesson for a fulfilled life. We can wait around for ever for the right time, place, environmental conditions, ambiance, and the inspiration we require and never get anything done. Or we can just begin, in this case writing a blog. Over the weekend to begin painting my bedroom green, my friend Melinda just put paint on various sections of the wall and inspired by the unfinished look, we took the brushes and rollers and finished the job much to my deep delight. So begin and see what happens. My bedroom is painted, my blog is written and now I am inspired to have a productive day.

The love of family

In writing this morning I have a deep desire to focus on the emails that went to and fro the internet yesterday from my brothers and sisters and their spouses in support of our sister Bridget. I felt a deep comfort especially yesterday knowing that no matter how hard work or life's disappointments can be surrounding oneself with family and friends can heal. Bridget had shared in an email that she had spoken words in a meeting she deeply regretted and felt terrible about and in the response of each member, there was support in the form of humor, and in the another email from our Sr. sister she encouraged Bridget with a spiritual reflection and many others were simple responses of love and encouragement. Our sister in law Jonna told Bridget that her nephews adored her and that a new nephew to be, announced in her email would also come to love Bridget. The power of the internet to spread love and encouragement so quickly really has enabled our family to remain close even though some of us live far apart. I ponder and know that love conquers all and I saw that happen yesterday. When you feel loved nothing else matters. AMEN.

Walking the Labyrinth

This past Sunday several friends and I walked the Mercy Sisters Labyrinth. A Labyrinth is a winding pathway toward a central place of discovery. One of the beauties of the labyrinth is that it combines meditation with exercise and I find it to be a quick way to relieve stress. As I reflect back to that walk on Sunday, I note three observations: 1. the time with good friends in a silent walk created a bond deeper than that of our years of conversation, 2., recognizing during and particularly afterwards that we all had different needs that day and in our sharing it was clear that at times in our life when things are difficult being with friends is healing, and 3., the power of silence is a way to clarity. Clarity might not include the answer we want, however it generally creates acceptance to what it is. I must walk the labyrinth again soon.