Finding Balance

December 18, 2013 //
2

tightrope

Image courtesy of Vlado/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I am fortunate enough today to have a friend visiting this morning to share coffee and conversation. One of her comments caught my attention. She was looking at my “Mother-in-law’s Tongue” plant, and she commented, “You’ve got babies—- your plant is doing really well.”

I was shocked. I never remember to water plants. Only two of five plants are currently surviving in this house; one is oregano and the other is this plant. I haven’t watered it in at least two months. My friend told me the one she has is not doing well because she waters it too often.

I know there is a message in this somewhere I need to pay attention to for some reason. Is it that procrastination can sometimes be healthy? Much as I’d like to think that, I am not comfortable doing so.  I think the message I am supposed to get is probably more like “some things are better left alone giving them their own time and space to grow.”  Sometimes giving too much support and nurturance can suffocate people or at the very least impede their growth. I need to learn to know when to back off so that I won’t make things worse for my friends by not giving them the space they need to learn to face their own challenges independently. I have other friends that are like the plants that have died in my house…..they need more support, nurturance, and direction than I am comfortable giving unless I am acting in a professional capacity providing care to a patient—–which is never appropriate outside the boundaries of that role.

Then there are the lessons about learning what I need from others. When do I need help and support? When do I need others to step back so I can learn to conquer my own challenges with God’s help? Examples that quickly come to mind are the two gentlemen who came and shoveled snow and ice off my driveway. That was help I definitely needed; I also needed help from my friend who picked up and brought my prescription refill to me. Beyond that, I needed to learn to overcome my own challenges. I slipped on ice a couple of times walking to and from my care  in my travels out and about after that, but one friend reminded me I could buy “Stablilicers” (advertised as “studded snow tires for your feet”) so I can be more independent with less threat of falling.

My slip-on cleats were delivered to my door yesterday. I just opened them up and tried them on my shoes; they fit perfectly. This detail reminds me that there is a magic “perfect” point  between being too dependent and healthily independent. The same goes for how I relate to my friends; there is a perfect “independence/dependence” fit that is different for each individual. I need to remember to  ask God for knowledge of his/her/Creator’s will and the power to carry it out——-not only in how I water my plants but in how I relate to others in the dance of friendship. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories recovery, Spirituality

Butterfly Wings

December 15, 2013 //
4

Freeing butterflies

Image courtesy of thawats/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I realized as I listened to the sermon in church this morning that a good deal of my life has been spent on spiritual waiting.  In terms of my own spiritual development, God has been doing most of the waiting for me to realize, begin to understand, and begin to accept the gift of immeasurable love that has always been waiting for me.

In regards to my career, I realized most of what I have done as a psychiatric nurse and professor has been to plant seeds. I realized that the majority of my professional time has actually been spent practicing spiritual waiting for the seeds to grow in God’s time following God’s plan rather than my own.

I realized I spent most of yesterday worrying about two friends, one who is suffering from depression and the other from addiction relapse. I know intellectually I cannot “fix” their situations, but that doesn’t keep me from wanting things to be better for them. I have to accept my role as a supportive friend is one of spiritual waiting. I can offer human caring and support, but the active healing process for both friends is between them and the God of their choosing. I can suggest tools, options, and opinions—-but it is up to each individual to make his or her own decisions and to travel his or her own spiritual pathway.

During the sermon (I still use the old “protestant terms” I grew up with; my apologies to my Episcopalian friends and colleagues) the priest also talked about passion and the different meanings that concept can have. The one we are most familiar with is the one that has to do with strong emotions and/or lust. We are also familiar with having intense passion for specific activities or objects. An example of the latter, would be my newly found passion of trying to communicate my spiritual journey and thoughts in written words.

Then, there is the religious meaning associated with  Christ’s death. At this point that the sermon went into new territory for me. It seems Christ’s passion was not only the suffering type most often alluded to in sermons. It was also composed of two other variants of passion. One type of passion occurs when one is powerless and cannot control what is happening to him or her. Twelve step recovery has taught me quite a bit about that one—–as has being a patient at Barnes Jewish Hospital numerous times. I have thought about Christ’s painful suffering, but never of Christ being unable to control what happened immediately prior to and during his crucifixion. The fact that Jesus was incarnated in human form would support that his human form was powerless and could not control what was happening. I will be doing some extensive thinking about this variant.

The last variant discussed in terms of Christ’s passion was that having to do with  the “handing over” of something. It seems that the word betrayal can also mean handing over….as Christ was by Judas prior to his crucifixion.  The priest also implied that Christ “handed over” his spirit to God when he said, “It is finished.” For the first time ever, I realized perhaps betrayal is necessary for positive outcomes to occur.  With that thought came  the realization that what I had always considered a negative betrayal prior to my last divorce was instead the impetus for a good deal of spiritual growth which otherwise might not have occurred. It forced me to turn my life and my will over to the care of God as I understood him. I have been learning to fly as a free spirit of God. I have had many lessons to strengthen my “butterfly wings.” At that moment in church this morning, a small kernel of gratitude was planted in my heart.  I am finally able to fully release the hurt and truly forgive the one who betrayed me because he actually set me free.

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Categories recovery, Spirituality

The Door Opens…..

December 14, 2013 //
0

Neon Looking Cross

Photograph compliments of Joshua  Burgard

Today a small personal miracle occurred. I found my “sacred word”—–one that is very powerful for me and one I will only use within the context of centering prayer (CP). Just thinking this word brings me almost instant relaxation and a sense of well being—-of being safe in oneness with Creator. I am not saying this word will always do that, but today it did. I am grateful.

This morning when I used this word in our 11th Step Centering Prayer group it felt like I had found my way home and God was there greeting me with a big bear hug full of unspeakable love. It wasn’t an “aha” moment  or even an epiphany. It was, however, a wonderful gift to have finally found  my own personal shortcut to feeling intimately loved in the present presence of God.

To speak about my experience in too much detail detracts from its magic and the depth of its meaning, so I will stop trying to explain. Instead of wondering how and why, I choose to accept this gift with the faith of a child. This gift of relationship with Creator in the present moment just is.

Santa

Image courtesy of vectorolie/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It is like waiting up on Christmas Eve hoping to finally catch a glimpse of Santa Claus and  finally encountering him for real 61 years later. I have had previous “moments of encounter” before, but they were not initiated by my  intentional voluntarily consent,  surrender, and acceptance. One was drug initiated back in the 60s, and the others have been crisis initiated.   Those encounters were just as real, and they were also awe-inspiring.  But knowing that I now have a way to let myself be caught up in the magic whenever I want without having to experience a crisis or swallow a hallucinogen is a very exciting discovery.

Enough blathering. I tend to do that when I am excited about something. I hope this Saturday is being good to you. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories Spirituality, Uncategorized

Lighting the Candle

December 12, 2013 //
0

candle

Image courtesy of foto76/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Meditation is a way to go within myself to a place that is both sacred and safe.  I would like to be able to easily access that sacred, safe space. I know it is there; I have been there—-but I can’t get there quickly. I still get tied up in the “how to” and sometimes miss my destination as a consequence. I know there is supposedly no wrong way, so why do I get bogged down in wanting to do it right?

I must, of course, not let “why” prevent me from “doing.”  One of my problems has been knowing what word to use as a sacred word to anchor my consciousness so that my mind doesn’t runaway with itself. I’ve tried bible phrases, names for God, and silly “password” type words. I think, in the terms of meditation rather than centering prayer, I am looking for a personal mantra that is custom made for my soul. Am I once again letting false pride and a self-centered need for perfection get in the way of me “letting go and letting God” accompany me in my attempts to quiet my mind so I can be in closer relationship with Creator?

I think the answer to that last question is probably, “Yes.” At times I have rebelled and tried to think of a “password” I can use to shock me out of my need for obsessing about attaining perfect prayerful centeredness. I have even jokingly told others a safe word can be as ordinary as the word “cheesecake.” This comment trivialized a sacred concept to the point that it was meaningless and no longer sacred. Sadly, my attempt at humor may have instead impeded a friend’s finding what supports her finding her own safe, sacred space.

I need to get off this perfection or nothing distraction. I don’t need it. I release it. I found something today that at least puts into words what I think I am searching for in my own “sacred word.”

I realize what  I want  is the kind of mantra described by Ram Dass (accessed 12/12/13 at: http://www.ramdass.org/mantras-2/) :

” Inside of me there’s a mantra going on that reminds me of who I am. It’s that place inside – that niche in the wall where the candle flame never flickers. Always bringing me right to my heart where we dwell eternally…… In Buddhism, the word mantra means “mind protecting”. A mantra protects the mind by preventing it from going into its’ usual mechanics, which often are not our desired or optimal conscious perspective. Mantra is a powerful spiritual practice for centering, and for letting go of strong emotions such as fear, anxiety and anger. The more you practice mantra the more it becomes a part of you. When you need it on the psychological level – for example when you feel afraid, using your witness, you notice the fear and replace the fear with your mantra. This will occur naturally once mantra becomes an established practice. Mantra is a daily reminder of the presence of the Divine within ourselves and all beings.”

Perhaps I’ve found a stepping stone that will lead me inward. Thank you for letting me ramble this morning. Please comment and share any thoughts my rambling may have triggered in your mind. I hope today will be a beautiful, blessed day for you. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories Spirituality, Uncategorized

Self-Imposed Solitude

December 10, 2013 //
68

winter wonderland

Photo, courtesy of Joshua Burgard

Today’s quote:

“Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone.”

—-Paul Tillich (1987)

               Days of Healing, Days of Joy, meditation for March 12, San Francisco, Harper & Row.

Somehow, it seemed appropriate to approach this topic on this the sixth day of my self-imposed solitude. I’m not sure I am counting correctly since a friend drove me to and from a meeting last night where I got to spend some quality time with “my people” talking about a spiritual approach to recovery.

Being around people who were smiling and laughing as well as sharing profound and serious insights integral to  their recovery was a well appreciated break from being with just my four dogs. And, thankfully, I have not been totally isolated.  After all, I have had my mobile phone and the Internet to keep me in touch with friends and family. Plus, I was lucky enough to have friends drop by two or three times.

My biggest reason for my self-imposed solitude was to avoid venturing out into the ice and snow. Some might call my reasons just plain fear; others might even go so far as to call them a phobia. I just remember driving down hill on ice in Kansas City and sliding off the road—-finally stopping only inches from a telephone pole. That was back in the seventies, and I’ve had several successful “snow and ice” driving escapades since then, but I prefer to remain at home if possible when ice is involved. This is especially true since I have been diagnosed with osteopenia, which means  I have bone density lower than normal but not low enough to be considered osteoporosis. I am naturally a klutz with little or no balance and have intermittent vertigo, so when I throw those things into the equation,  I do tend to be overly careful about avoiding ice.

Enough about why I have experienced self-imposed solitude voluntarily for so many days. I really want to focus on what, for  me, is the difference between solitude and loneliness. When I experience solitude, it means that I am happy in my own skin doing what I am doing and am totally comfortable in my surroundings. I can experience loneliness in the exact same environment, doing the exact same activities—-the only thing that has changed  when I am lonely is my emotional status and/or attitude. When I am lonely, it is like there is this big void deep within myself that needs filled, and no matter how busy I stay or how much or often I eat, or how many video Internet games I win, I still feel restless and driven. In the old days I would have lit up a cigarette and poured a drink, but those behaviors are long gone from my repertoire,  by the grace of God.

So, how do I alter my attitude when I am aware I have shifted into loneliness? Prayer helps, both the speaking and listening kind. Listening to calming music helps. Talking to friends helps. Mostly, for me, it takes realizing the enemy is “desire”—-especially since it is a free-floating non-specific, restless desire. At those times I have to talk to God and to listen to God. I need to realize all that really matters is being in relationship with God. Then everything else falls into place. I can live life on life’s terms in solitude as long as I realize God’s love and compassion are always present. Some would say that is not solitude because I am in relationship with God. I won’t argue that, but I know when I don’t allow God to be there with me to fill the “restless void” I get stuck in being lonely and restless.

I will close with a quote from the same source and page as the one this evening’s blog began with: “It may be said the road that runs between loneliness and solitude is the highway of recovery.”  I think I agree with that, and I am grateful my recovery has gifted me with solitude and the ability to  return to it whenever I choose to do so.

Please comment and share your thoughts about being the difference between being lonely and being comfortable in solitude. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories recovery, Spirituality

Heeding Warnings

December 9, 2013 //
4

microwave oven

Image courtesy of Supertrooper/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today my microwave talked back to me. It called me a child! Not once, but several times it blinked  the word “child” at me. Now, I could take this as an advent message that a child is coming. I could take it as a warning that I am close to entering my second childhood. Mostly, I wondered what was going on with my microwave——until I realized I had punched the start button multiple times rather than the 1 minute button.  My error had indicated to a computerized machine that a child was playing with it. I suppose the microwave is pre-programmed to warn parents when they need to watch and teach their child to stay away from the microwave.

Yesterday a friend told me about a new bra that is supposedly out on the market with electrodes in it to detect when your heart rate elevates because you want to eat something you shouldn’t. That brought all sorts of silly thoughts to my head. Ones such as, “women who wear this should stay out of the rain” or “it would be awkward when your ‘battery is low warning’ started chirping.”  Then I wondered how on earth such a contraption could differentiate between causes of a rise in heart rate…..like would it warn me my heart rate was elevated after I’d climbed three flights of stairs or watched a good looking, tanned, muscular man with a gorgeous smile walk be? Granted these were all flights of fantasy, especially the last scenario.

Seriously, what earthly good would an electrical warning that your body was turned on by something unhealthy have on stopping addictive behavior? Didn’t God create a conscience in us that lets us know when we are contemplating something we shouldn’t do? When did that ever stop someone with an addictive personality from eating, drinking, drugging, etc.?

By now, you are probably wondering what the “topic” of today’s blog is. Basically, although camouflaged by my circuitous  writing style, it is the topic of “warnings” and how we respond to them.  Most of the time, I already realize something I am contemplating is not healthy for me or someone else. Fortunately, trying to follow a spiritual program of recovery helps me respond positively to those whispered warnings from that “still, small voice” that comes from deep within my soul. Sometimes, I ignore such warnings, and proceed anyway. Usually such willful, self-directed action forces me into what those in recovery call “teachable moments.”  That is why I am glad God loves me enough to forgive me and once again help me handle what I cannot handle by myself if I am only willing to allow him to do so.

Well, that is enough meandering for this morning. Please comment and share your thoughts about how we receive and respond to warnings. Be warm, dry, and safe. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories recovery, Spirituality

Mud on the Floor

December 6, 2013 //
2

Potter Earth

Image courtesy of  dan/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mud on the Floor

Today’s quote:

“The early Native Americans did not believe in an afterlife, at least not in the Christian sense of souls living eternally in heaven or hell. However, they did believe strongly in immortality. When we die, they believed, our souls leave our bodies and enter a spirit world where they freely communicate with the spirits of other living things that have died throughout the history of the universe, plants and animals included. The only way souls could enter this spirit world was to become part of the earth, the ultimate place of origin. In Listen to the Drum, Robert Blackwolf Jones writes: “We are all born from Mother Earth and return to Mother Earth. The next time you get mud on your carpet, therefore, don’t panic. You’re just looking at yourself in the mirror before your time.”

Shimer, Porter (2004-09-01). Healing Secrets of the Native Americans: Herbs, Remedies, and Practices That Restore the Body, Refresh the Mind, and Rebuild the Spirit (pp. 28-29). Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Yes, that is mud on the potter’s hands in the photo. Perhaps it is all the mess my dogs have  tracked in  today every time they come back in from being out in all this snow, but today’s quote about mud being a reflection of ourselves really caught my eye.

Native American spiritual beliefs have always resonated with my soul. The above quote, however,  would have triggered a bit of anxiety in me were I to have read it in the past when I was younger and clinging desperately to the fundamental Christian beliefs I heard preached from the pulpit every Sunday.

During my spiritual journey of the past thirty years, I have come to believe in a “spiritual reality” which co-exists simultaneously as a parallel reality with physical reality. When I free my mind from the confines of physical reality by meditating, participating in centering prayer, or participating in a Native American sweat lodge, my mind directly connects with spiritual reality. I have learned that reality is always there;  I just need to be still, turn my “busy mind” off, and open up to an awareness of it. I am learning in centering prayer that the spirit of God is within me as well as surrounding me, and when I am able to focus my mind on consenting to that loving presence, I willingly enter God’s spiritual reality.

I believe all religions have their own way of knowing and seeking God—and of experiencing spiritual reality.  Somehow I find comfort in the humor of Blackwolf Jones; it is amusing to realize when I look at mud I am looking at a mirror-like reflection of myself from a different point on the continuum of time. The study of contemplative prayer is teaching me that God has no concept of time. God is “I am”…now, not yesterday, and not tomorrow, but eternally. I doubt God would have any trouble at all recognizing me in any form, be it mud or flesh and blood,  because I know it is my spirit that shares God’s eternity with him and not the package that houses my spirit.

Enough. You probably think by now being snowed in by the “winter storm of 2013” has gotten to my mind and caused all coherent thought to flee. Maybe it has. Leaving the confines of reality as I’ve known it so I can more consciously connect with God’s spiritual reality doesn’t scare me anymore. I have an eternal place in God’s spiritual reality—-one that is independent of the boundaries of time, space, and shape.

Please comment and share your thoughts about your experience of spiritual reality. Stay safe and warm. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories Spirituality, Uncategorized

Asking Why

December 5, 2013 //
4

Why

Image courtesy of  Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Asking Why

“Don’t let your will roar when your power only whispers.”

—– Thomas Fuller

(accessed on 12/5/13 at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasfull151926.html)

That quote brought an uneasy chuckle to my lips and had me shaking my head more than once. I hate it when some quote hits me between the eyes like this one did. It means I need to listen. I need to pay attention.

This one made me think about all the times I’ve wasted in my life being willful and repeatedly trying to do or fix something  all by myself when I actually had no power to do so. I’d like to think I’ve “grown out” of this character defect, but the truth is I still can get caught up in my own stubborn self-will more often than I like to admit.

In two meetings I’ve participated in this past week, the topic of “asking why” was a topic of discussion. I often enjoy asking why and trying to figure out what makes something do what it is doing. And, yes, I can use asking why as a smoke screen to keep myself from focusing on what I’m going to do about a problem rather than wasting my time analyzing it to death.

Somehow understanding something gives me a sense of control, of being “safe,” if you will. If I understand the answer to why, maybe I can avoid encountering the same problem or situation again in the future. This line of reasoning, comes from my upbringing because I always wanted to know why I was getting in trouble and why what I was doing was wrong. I was scolded for “talking back” when I would ask why, so now, being the emancipated elder adult that I am—–I still love having the freedom to ask why. Actually, when I was a small child, my “why question” may have been the safest way for me to disagree or rebel. So when I ask why in the present sometimes I can get caught up in asking why because of my allergy to authority.

That last sentence brings me back to today’s quote—–when I feel my power is threatened  (especially by an “authority” outside myself) I often  explode in “self will run riot”. My response is very much like whistling in the dark with my “roaring will” to cover up and/or hide from myself the fact that I am feeling powerless threatened. I know in my soul God uses my feeling powerless to make me teachable and right-sized. It can force acceptance and initiate healing.  But knowing this can, for me,  be far removed from actually letting God do His magic. I have to focus on “feeding my willingness” to surrender, let go, and let God. One of the ways I do this is by reminding myself of something I’ve been telling clients for years—-“knowing why is not as important as figuring out what you are going to do about it.” Real wisdom comes with the realization that “what I’m going to do about it” is turn it over to God so he and I can work on it together.

I am slowly learning to trust God rather than getting bogged down in intellectualizing, asking why, and otherwise rebelling. I am learning to trust what God is creating in me when I am willing to release a character defect—-which, in this case, is my willingness to stop rebelling against my lack of control/power, to willingly ask God for help, and to accept that help. I am learning to trust that when I give up something has always been one of my problematic ways of reacting to life God will create something better to take its place. When I can practice surrender and acceptance rather than rebellion, worry, and fear it is amazing how much more easy and peaceful my life is!

I hope all these meandering words will make sense to my readers. I hope some of you will comment about the role “asking why” plays in your life. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories recovery, Spirituality, Uncategorized

The Cat’s Meow

December 3, 2013 //
3

Kitten

Image courtesy of Tina Phillips/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Cat’s Meow

My mind this morning is fixated on the love shared between person and pet(s). Perhaps it is because my best friend just lost a beloved four-legged from among the many she has saved and is saving with her rescue mission. Whatever the cause, the bond between people and animals kept being brought to my attention this morning as I worked on finding a bible reading and prayer for my church’s Facebook page and again when I randomly opened a couple of meditation books this morning.

First, in Proverbs 12:10 (NLT),  I encountered this message: “The godly are concerned for the well being of their animals, but even the kindness of the wicked is cruel.”  Next, the meditation written about this verse ended with a prayer by Ashley Kappel: “Thank You, Lord, for friends and family, both human and those of the fur-covered variety. Experiencing their love allows us a glimpse into the abundance that awaits us in heaven. [Amen.]” (Editors, Guideposts, 2012-10-01. Daily Guideposts 2013 (Kindle Locations 5104-5106). Guideposts Books. Kindle Edition).

Next, my Higher Power sent me to a mediation in a 2008 volume of Daily Guideposts to a meditation written by Rick Hamlin (pp. 262-263) in which he describes how his cat kept demanding his attention one day by constantly meowing. He checked her food and water, and it was found to be adequate. He followed his cat all around his house. The cat kept meowing. In desperation, he finally set down on his kitchen floor and just cuddled with and loved  his cat. Both were happy at that point. The author of the mediation saw this situation as a metaphor for how we can wander restless, wanting something, looking for something, and feeling anxious until we allow ourselves to stop, relax, and feel God’s love.

I found this simple metaphor very comforting after being embroiled in countless theological discussions of what is God, where is God, how does God manifest, what do theologians say, what do the experts say, what do different religions and authors say, etc. I have less and less patience for such discussions at times—perhaps because I had to suffer through years of similar discussions while I earned my doctorate and later countless faculty meetings where hardly anything was ever said succinctly.

I am surrounded by and filled with God’s love. When I let myself be still and connect with this love my “free-floating” anxiety ceases to exist. I know I am one with the one eternal truth—God’s love.  Once I connect with this love, I am relaxed and energized. This allows me to “be active” in God’s love by compassionately sharing it with others. Thank you, God for making this possible.

Please comment and share your thoughts about how the pets in your life connect you with God’s love. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories recovery, Spirituality, Uncategorized

Roses and Thorns

December 1, 2013 //
4

iced rose

Image courtesy of Tina Phillipsn/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.”

(quote from James M. Barrie , accessed 12/1/13 at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jamesmbar106712.html)

Yesterday a friend shared a poem with me that described how a rose needs light to unfold and evolve and implied we are all like roses that need light in order to outgrow our fears. Today, in a meditation I read the above quote by James. M. Barrie. It seems odd to me that two days in a row now God has called my attention to roses. I do believe he is trying to tell me something. Add to that the beginning of Advent on this day full of God’s sunlight and blue skies, and the promise Advent brings with it of God’s gift of light—–and a picture of what I think my Higher Power wants me to notice begins to emerge.

My God wants me to know his grace and love are always there. He wants me to know his light is always present, that I only need to consent for that light to help me grow spiritually. What is new about the message I think he wants me to get today is this thing about memory. In a way, human aging is about fading youth, health, and short-term memory. God lets us keep long term memory the longest. We can remember the happy moments he has gifted us with, and we can relive them and appreciate them all over again. So now in my older years (December) I can relive wonders and miracles I have experienced in the past. Christmas can be full of magic an wonder if I consent to let it be so. The memory of a loving caress can return and be felt once again. A hug shared with my deceased mother can be experienced as if it was happening now.

God lets me remember “bad” memories too, and this brings me back to the reference to a rose in Barrie’s quote. Roses have thorns, and I need to remember the “thorns” of my experiences so I don’t repeat my mistakes. Every once in a while my God lets me stumble on a thorn so I can realize how far he has brought me and how strong his love is. At these times I get to “choose all over again” to consent, surrender, and let God handle things. Until I let go of the thorn that is pricking my finger, it is a very scary situation. I start getting overwhelmed about not being able to “solve the problem.” Thankfully, God  usually reminds me I don’t have to solve or fix whatever “it”  the thorn represents all by myself. In fact, my experience has taught me, things get worked out a lot better if I just back off and let God handle things asking only for knowledge of his will for me and the courage to carry that out.

Please comment and share your thoughts about the roses and thorns in your life. May God bless and keep you.

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Categories Spirituality, Uncategorized
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