Letting Go . . . Letting Be . . .

  

 “Letting Go Takes Love”

Author Unknown
 

To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can’t do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off,
it’s the realization I can’t control another.

To let go is not to enable,
but allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it’s to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.

To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.

To let go is not to be protective,
it’s to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.

To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less and love more
and
To let go and to let God, is to find peace!
Remember: The time to love is short.
 
                                   

Breathing a Blessing for Our World . . .

 

 

 A Blessing for Our World

• May the God of strength be with us; and may we be God’s strength to those in our world whose hands and hearts we hold.

• May the God of gentleness be with us; and may we be God’s tenderness to warm all who are hurt, alone, depressed, or in need of kindness.

• May the God of mercy be with us; and may we bring mercy, courage, and hope to those in our world who suffer from fear, lack of trust, or who have been hurt in any way.

• May the God of compassion be with us; and may we be God’s compassion to those who are weary, or in need of a listening heart. 

• May the God of patience be with us; may God’s patience be with us as we pray to stand with out-stretched arms, with an understanding heart - free of judgment -to receive those who are in need of our support.

• May the God of peace be with us; may God’s peace be with us as we pray for those in our world who are troubled, anxious, in doubt, and restless.  May God’s peace be a warm mantle of love to still their hearts. (Source Unknown)

 +Breathing in: Generous God  

Breathing out: Thank you

Feast of Mother Teresa of Calcutta . . .

 

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

 Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

[Reportedly inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta, and attributed to her. However, an article in the New York Times has since reported (March 8, 2002) that the original version of this poem was written by Kent M. Keith.]

Magnanimity ~ God's DNA!

 

I think we all have a selfish gene which rises to the top, sometimes. But then we're also all capable of a sudden magnanimity. Jim Broadbent 

The word that found me this week is MAGNANIMITY!  Webster defines it as: loftiness of spirit enabling one to bear trouble calmly, to disdain meanness and pettiness, and to display a noble generosity. Also, Dean Brackley, has a section on Magnanimity in his book on Discernment.  He writes:
“To put the matter positively: our fragile modern egos need what the ancients called magnanimity. The magnanimous person is, literally, a great souled individual and expansive spirit. With appropriate self-esteem and a realistic sense of their talents, great-hearted individuals think big. They refuse to bog down in trivia. Unperturbed by minor grievances, indifferent to the ‘trinkets’ of wealth and status, they are spontaneously generous, even prodigal, the opposite of the stingy, shrunken soul.” (Quoted in: The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times, by Dean Brackley)

I am beginning to become aware of the inner connection between our heart and hands. It seems that when my heart is released of fear, judgment, resentment, and all those other negative demons that can “constipate” my spirit, then my hands can open wider and wider to be generous with my time, talents, understanding, and gifts. Then I can be a tad bit magnanimous – a practice that God sends for me to transform into my authentic self!

I have experienced a number of “speed bumps” on my journey of life which have invited me to slow down and ponder a little longer, a little deeper, a little more attentively, and a little less fearfully the magnanimous moments in which I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and to share stories of great souled people with expansive spirits!

I’m sure you recall this quote: “Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” Flavia 

This quote came to mind when I once attended a wake service for a woman who died. Her life was celebrated by her husband, their five children, sixteen grandchildren, and throngs of friends. “She will long be remembered for her total and unwavering commitment to her family and in particular her 16 grandchildren. In addition, her Irish wit and general love of life along with her many dear friends are her true legacies.”  

Our line at the visitation moved at a snail’s pace. However, while in line, people “crossed over” to greet one another and shared stories of this terrific woman. When we finally arrived at the place where the family stood to welcome the visitors, each person was greeted with individual attention. However, I felt that I was receiving a blessing from them with each hug, smile, expression of gratitude, and handshake. This beautiful family thanked us for coming and for sharing in the life of their mother. She was truly a great souled and great-hearted individual. I left thinking that she and her family have left footprints on my heart, and I will never be the same because of this sacred moment of blessing.  Her DNA runs through their bones and blood as well, carrying into the future her Irish wit, love, and expansive spirit!

·                  When and where have you experienced MAGNANIMITY?

·                  What word is searching for you?

(previously posted)

The Invitation . . .

 

There was once a dark cave, deep down in the ground, underneath the earth and hidden away from view.  Because it was so deep in the earth, the light had never been there.  The cave had never seen light.  The word ‘light’ meant nothing to the cave, who couldn’t imagine what ‘light’ might be.   

Then one day, the sun sent an invitation to the cave, inviting it to come up and visit. When the cave came up to visit the sun it was amazed and delighted, because the cave had never seen light before, and it was dazzled by the wonder of the experience.

Feeling so grateful to the sun for inviting it to visit, the cave wanted to return the kindness, and so it invited the sun to come down to visit it sometime, because the sun had never seen darkness. 

So the day came, and the sun entered the cave, it looked around with great interest, wondering what ‘darkness’ would be like.  Then it became puzzled, and asked the cave, ‘Where is the darkness?’  (Source Unknown)

The Gift of the Present ~

 

 

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue. . . .There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy. "Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."
Author Unknown

Always a choice . . .

 

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.  

 
I, too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times." He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit." The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?" The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."