And delight themselves in the abundance of peace. For years now I remembered that I had been struck by a random MESSAGE that stemmed from this passage. Long before I began practicing with Quakers. Long before I had children. Something about this hit me. And while I enjoy reading the bible (or parts of it) as literature, it is not where I go most often for spiritual hits. I guess sometimes it just hits me. And it apparently hit me so hard that I forgot all about it. So here is the really clumsy message that has taken years to remember and is for some reason still not crafted: We have no control over what other people say or do to us. None. We do have control over our reactions and our thought about the speech and actions of others. When we make the assumption that everything is about us-- that every glance in our direction is a subtle dig at what we are wearing, or our weight, or our hair, or who we are associating with-- we are taking a position of egocentrism and pride. (Remember, it's not all about you. It is all about me.) If instead, we don't place ourselves at the center. Don't assume that all negative (or possibly negative) actions are meant for us, the world is a much better place. The inheriting of the earth is not some distant future after-death myth. It is a condition that takes place in the present moment. The ability to exhibit qualities of meekness-- enduring injury with patience, unwillingness to fight or argue, having a quiet or gentle nature-- makes it more comfortable to be on this earth. With other people. And I am not talking about the milksop side of meekness. Not weak. Not expressing false modesty. Clumsy. And not quite it. But something like that. Daily Convexions: slept more; still not 100%. Took meds. Grateful Crap: see above clip. Comments are closed.
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K. BuchananQuaker, teacher, parent, |