seeking the eternal best over what is simply ok
A seeker once asked Bayazid: “Who is the true Prince?” “The man who cannot choose,” said Bayazid: “the man for whom God’s choice is the only possible choice.” – Bayazid al-Bistami The Lord is extending the gift of Eternal Life, Abundant Life to each of us, but we do not reach out to take it because we are holding a few pennies in our hands. Have you seen infants in this dilemma? ... it happens at a particular stage of development, when they have learned to grasp but not quite mastered letting go. They have a rattle in one hand; you offer them a toothbrush, and for a while they just look back and forth at the toothbrush, then the rattle, then the toothbrush again. You can almost see the grey matter working: “I want that toothbrush, but how can I take it? My hand is already full.” Similarly, all of us look at the Lord’s gift of abundant life for a long while, asking “What is this? How do I know it’s real? Give it to me first; then I’ll let the pennies go.” The Lord patiently