Thousands of candles
can be lighted from a single candle,
and the life of the
candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never
decreases by being shared.
~ Buddha
This evening I was in the middle of
my muddle when I received an email message from another human being navigating
the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" called health care. "I am in
the midst of so much conflicting information (all of which seems to have good
scientific basis) that I have temporarily decided to just choose one system and
stick with it alone until I see how I am doing after a reasonable trial."
She went on to say, "I am just curious—how
do you handle things when there is too much conflicting info, most of which
makes sense on its own?" As is often the way it happens, clarity and peace
comes when you open your heart on behalf of another.
You are very right about each of us needing to find what
fits for us. So often we're looking for something external, rather than
understanding well-being as an internal state that is ever-present, untouched
by the current conditions.
The itching of a broken bone is evidence of the healing that
is happening. At times of healing crises, physical or emotional or mental or
spiritual, that confusion is really an indication of change. When you can
welcome that as a litmus test, you can soften around it and you will discover
"it"—whatever "it" is, changes.
At this time we are all experiencing confusion and overwhelm and overload, each with
our unique circumstances. The beauty is that life is designed to help us.
Just today, two friends and I were together, and we were
scheduled to be at another friend's home at 1 o'clock. It became obvious we
were going to be about 15 minutes late, so we looked for the phone number of
the woman where we needed to be. Although all three of us thought we had it,
none of us did.
Linda drove her car planning to make couple stops and meet
us there. Nancy and I left 815 Main Street, and went to Tosi's for a bowl of
soup. When we walked in, there sat Kate's husband! He was able to give her a
call, and let her know we would be arriving about 15 minutes late!
We could not have orchestrated that!
But LIFE was able to.
We are in the process of coming to believe what is real— not
about breathing, not about techniques, but about life itself. And right now, each one of us is being presented with
the perfect circumstances to let us learn that lesson.
You're in my prayers, and I trust that I am also in yours.
Six months from now, we will be in a very different place
around all of this. It's growing pains, that's all.
What gift it is to be able to see
for another when he or she cannot see. What an honor to share the presence of
mind in the face of confusion and overwhelm. What a miracle to bring ourselves
to whatever is before us and know the truth, "I am enough."
 |
| Debra with friend, Ron. |
Everybody can be great... because anybody can
serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to
serve.
You don't have to make your subject and verb
agree to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul
generated by love.
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
