THE SEASONS OF OUR LIVES
This particular season has prompted some introspection
on my part as I watch the dormant landscape all around me. In just
a few weeks, the flowers and trees will burst into bloom again with
a vigor that never ceases to amaze me. The cycles of life are ever
upon us, or so it seems.
Life continues for me now, and it will continue after I am gone. I
know this, and to some degree I feel I have made peace with that fact,
but there is a question at the back of my mind that surfaces over
and over, and it is simply this: When all is said and done, will I
have accomplished what I came here for? Will the deep, driving desire
in my life have been satisfied? Even more important: Somewhere along
the way, will I have made life easier for someone else? Will something
I said or something I did bring comfort when comfort was needed? Will
I have left a bit of light on the path for those who are yet to follow?
An Untrodden Path
The path we walk is unique for each of us. No one has ever gone quite
this way before. Your path is there for you, and only you, just as
my path is there for me. You are the only one who can follow your
path, for it is the path of your own unfolding.
Much like mountain climbers, the footsteps you leave behind will help
others see their own way more clearly. Truly, one person's ascent
is another person's toehold.
This is why it is so important to learn to live from our depths. The
life we are living is not just for our own sake. We learn and grow
so all may learn and grow. What you gain, we all gain, for we are
all part of the body of humanity. We are as cogs in a wheel. Each
is necessary to the success of the other. We share the same breath,
we share the same life force, and we share the same destiny. Always,
what is done for one is done for all.
The Eternal Answer
The greater our sense of connection, the more we become aware of the
vast underlying love that supports and sustains us. That love is within
us, too, and it flows through us whenever we work for the greater
good. No matter what the problem, love is at least part of the answer.
When we move away from love, we wound and are wounded. In the same
way, choosing to love heals and restores. We always have that choice.
In finding the beauty, indeed the glory, in someone else, we discover
it within ourself as well. It was always there. We just did not see
it before.
A Commitment for All Seasons
Loving each other is not for the short haul. Love accepts the boon
of relationships through life and through death. When we are carriers
of this love, we assist others not only in their journey here but
also in their transition to the life beyond this life. Love is a commitment
for all seasons, a promise to support and sustain each other through
all our ups and downs.
Commitment forces us to face the very things in ourselves we would
rather turn away from - all the difficult issues of life as well as
the issue of death. Assisting others in their journey forces us to
confront our own humanity, perhaps even to make peace with it. If
we are not yet able to do that, then we work toward an acceptance
that will eventually lead to the peace we long for.
Love Is the Reason
We all hunger for love. We try to fulfill that hunger through the
things and the people around us. While those things may bring temporary
happiness, they cannot truly satisfy. What we are actually looking
for goes much deeper. It can only be found in our deepest heart of
hearts where love flows endlessly.
When love is our compass, we find the peace we are seeking. Love is
the reason for all we are given to do here. Indeed, love is our purpose,
the song in our heart.
We need to breathe from our soul. We need to see from our soul, to
act from our soul's intent. From love, our purest longing was formed.
Through love, our truest answers are found. When we follow love’s
guidance, understanding comes. That understanding is made evident
through the quiet, subtle changes in our thoughts and feelings that
love fosters.
Life Does Not End
Perhaps if we lived knowing we have one foot here and one foot in
eternity, our sense of loss and its ensuing surge of grief would be
assuaged. We are more than just this mortal body. Our spirit inhabits
this body for a while, but when the body no longer can serve us, our
spirit is still intact. Life is ongoing, and because it is, so are
we. The present moment is just a fleeting glance, as it were, a glimpse
of the eternity which is our true home.
The Larger Whole
Sheldon Vanauken believes our longing for eternity is built into us.
He could be right. I got a clearer sense of this recently when I was
outside looking at the night sky. I'd been reading Carl Sagan's book,
Pale Blue Dot, wondering what it would be like to be a traveler in
space, to see a red sky with many moons in it, or a yellow sky with
another planet so close you could almost touch it. That evening as
I watched the moon come up, it dawned on me that we are traveling
through the cosmos right now! Our own world is hurtling through space,
and we are on it! In that moment I felt deeply connected to the grand
scheme of things. Then I began to wonder, what holds all this together?
Immediately I knew, for my heart filled with such love, I could hardly
breathe.
God’s love is all around us. It is the very substance of all
creation. That love is what we most truly are. More than that, God
has a plan. As His love finds its home within us, it draws us into
the calling where we can offer our finest gifts and find our greatest
satisfaction. Our part is simply to follow His leading, trust His
wisdom, and let His vision for us unfold.
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