Maintaining a dynamic, open, spiritual perspective

Sri. Easwaran reminds us:
In the first days of my youth I tried to find it in the creatures, as I saw others do; but the more I sought, the less I found it, and the nearer I went to it, the further off it was. For of every image that appeared to me, before I had fully tested it, or abandoned myself to peace in it, an inner voice said to me: “This is not what thou seekest.”
– HEINRICH SUSO
Physical attraction is not a firm foundation on which to build a relationship, for the simple reason that it is never constant. It sets in motion a cycle of expectation and disillusionment that can go on and on. 
The person who lives in a world of fantasy will often blame the other for letting him down. 
Perhaps, for example, Juliet expects Romeo to come to her balcony every morning and launch into, “It is the east, and you are the sun . . . .” Three days after the honeymoon, she feels crushed when she is greeted at breakfast with nothing more romantic than, “Where’s the toast?” 
Many relationships sputter because of just such inflated expectations, which demand of life something that it simply cannot give. We should not feel that close relationships are beyond our reach, but they are demanding. Through experience, we come to realize that in love nothing comes as easily as we expected. Everything beautiful has to be worked for.
_____________________________________________________________
This is a sobering truth. The nature of life is that it is ever changing, a fragmented and non linear dynamic. Life is a paradox, and is always a kaleidoscope of ever switching viewpoints and revealed truths. One must maintain an attitude whereby change is the constant, and learning/growth is the objective. 
Relationships are ever dynamic. 
Our perspectives and needs change. 
How do we keep an open mind( and heart)? 
How can I effectively and truthfully project my own expectations on the relationships that are important to me? 
By grace of the creator, I must listen to his voice and seek to obey.
----from the prophet Isaiah: "Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Lead me, Teacher, and keep me from harm.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Baylor has need of Christ’s wisdom

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can not serve both God and Mammon.” We ( Baylor - as a university community which says its follows Christ) have blindly served mammon, with the other schools in Texas…and look where it has taken us. Now money is driving the conference groupings even more than before- in 1995. Where will this lead? Texas—that is the University of Texas at Austin, is the driving force of the ‘we deserve more money’ movement. Fair enough, that is as it probably should be. UT is a dominant force in NCAA athletics. It is a secular school. It has absolutely no ties to the Gospel, other than the Gospel’s influence on our culture. Although far less in influence, the same goes for our militaristic land grant school, and our state’s other outpost, which defies description. But Baylor—why do we follow them? We say we are of Christ . I question that. Especially
Read more

You can do it! Yes you can.

Image
I claim to be an average man of less than average ability.I have not the shadow of a doubt that any man or woman can achieve what I have if he or she would make the same effort and cultivate the same hope and faith. -Mahatma Gandhi So, are you willing to give it your best? In this transformation of the small i's to the Real I, the essence, are you willing? to do the Work? Resolve to awaken to the inner motivations of the small self within. Observe yourself. Put some separation between you and your small self/ego. Observe your own behavior, thoughts, actions, motivations. Let the Spirit filter the way you respond to stresses from outside. For the Word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two edged sword, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart-----------your heart! Who is The Living Word? The logos? You know.
Read more

Expecting God to show up(sic)

*At my church several of our well intentioned staff members have used the above term to describe times when something good happens in a group in which they have been leading or participating...or it will be used as a salutation. I have found it quite amusing that our "leaders" describe their experience with the Spirit in this way. For I believe that God has "shown up" since "in the beginning"--since the earth and fullness thereof, was created. After all, way down through the centuries, when Moses the great leader of Israel asked what is His name--the response came back in the form of the Tetragrammaton, *YHWH*..."I am that I am." My belief is that we are the ones who must make the effort to "show up"! "The Great I Am"--has been showing up every second of every day since before there were human beings on the planet who could even have expectations. I suppose the expectation that I should be tilted to the Knowledge that He li
Read more