The NOW Place

The latest wave of challenges has been a mighty one and though we have been trying our best to regain our equilibrium, we haven't managed to do this in the way we would like; with loving and polite manners.

Jeff and I, like most married couples I assume, rely heavily on each other for support. Neither of us have a large group of friends or even a close friend that we turn to with our troubles. Jeff is my best friend and I am his. This is a wonderful thing, until we are both floundering. It is the cautionary tale of trying to save a drowning person without getting drowned yourself.

I wish I could say that I behave like the Dalai Lama in times of trouble, all peaceful and compassionate-like.

Uh.... no.

But I am pretty sure the Dalai Lama has not gone through what I have gone through.

It would be a curious thing to witness the saints during times of trouble. Wouldn't it?

Did they weep?

Did they yell?

Did they rail against God?

Did crack open the red wine?

Or did they always behave like a saint?

Maybe they did, all pious and tranquil, but I am pretty sure there has never been a saint that was married with children and that is a game changer, right there.

So here is to all you wives and husbands, moms and dads, who do not always act perfect, but go on loving deeply and forgiving long. The saints ain't got nothing on us.

These challenging times put us all to the test. There is not a person I meet lately that is not going through some type of significant challenge; physical/medical, financial, relationships... The planet is a pressure cooker of drama.

I do not like it, but it does provide one thing that the good times do not - an opportunity to expand our understanding of who and what we are really made of.

When times are good, we all live fat, dumb and happy. Unconscious bliss is an intoxicating thing. In its vapors we do not grow or evolve. Tribulations call us to be something greater and stronger. We get real. We find our priorities. We cannot be an island unto ourselves and we create community. We decide that God might be something we'd like to have a relationship with.

I am on a fast track of learning how NOT to get carried away by the chaos. This is a lesson I have yet to master. I feel the quaking in my bones on the verge of erupting at all times. But I think I know the solution:

Stay in the NOW place!

Yeah.... I know... this isn't a new revelation. We have all heard about the NOW a million times. It has always sounded like a good theory to me, but is not practical in the real life of marriage, career and parenting 4 children.

Well, you know what? When life feels like it is circling the drain, NOW is all we got.

Very recently ~ like in the last couple of days ~ I have really been cacooning myself in the NOW. As soon as I turn my attention to the past or start worrying about the future, the spin and vertigo starts. As long as I chill in the NOW, I find a holy calm and actually feel some joy.

I am going to keep trying this NOW thing out and see if I can prove that it is more than just a good idea.

Namaste,

C H E Z

 

Comments

[Elizabeth Colvin]

Most people would consider Mother Teresa a saint. Yes ? Well, I have it on good authority that she was a tad bossy. People found her to be difficult to work with. I know ! can you believe it ?
Somehow this gives me great comfort to know that a woman who devoted her life to helping the sick and homeless, could also me imperfect. Also- I love King David. What's not to like ( ? )-unless you're married to Bathsheba. My point is none of us are perfect. Why I love David is because he brought Everything to God. This much I can do.

[Sharon]

Amen, Sister! I am also a mom - to 3 by birth, step-mom to 6 (9 total - are we just asking for chaos or what?!)and my husband is also my best friend. We try not to let their drama become our drama...but the odds are stacked against us most of the time. Trying to keep up can be a drain on all of my limited resources. I sometimes feel like I'm scrambling just to catch up with the NOW. What if my NOW isn't in the same time-frame or continuum of everyone else's? I tend to see the humorous side of Creation - or at least the distinctions between the clocks/calendars humans try to live by and the natural ebb & flow of life itself.
Thanks for the toast!
Sharon