Sunday, August 8, 2010

Accept and Be Glad!


"The present moment is as it is. Don't sit in judgment of it. That will only cause pain and unhappiness. Don't resist it. Just allow it to be," writes Eckhart Tolle in THE POWER OF NOW. I remember reading the analogy about the river which does not stop when it meets an obstacle. It does not fight the obstacle; it simply goes around, over, or through it. If we could only remember to do that, we would be so much happier and serene. One of my favorite sayings is Carl Jung's "What you resist, persists." If we want freedom from outside circumstances, we need to not only accept whatever happens, but to actually work with it and make friends with it. If we do this, serenity is ours.

My serenity is directly related to my faith in God and His goodness. My belief that God does not bring illness, sorrow, or catastrophe into our lives but rather health, joy, and wholeness keeps me from any discouragement. "It gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom." (Luke 12:32) The kingdom within brings me great joy.

In this very moment I am choosing to be glad. It doesn't the change the fact that a couple of days ago I was disappointed about something. It doesn't change the fact that a friend of mine is having health issues. However, my inner joy and outer smile is dispelling darkness by giving me strength.

I know that it is sunshine that makes the flowers grow and turns the acorn into an oak. I have read this analogy of life to nature many times, and the visual it provides gives me such hope. I want to be a smiling sunbeam that makes things better. I want to count so many blessings in my life that I can't see anything else.

I want to remember that even when clouds cover the sun, it is still there. I will keep singing and rejoicing, come what may. So this very moment, I am in acceptance mode, and even more than that I am choosing joy.

Love and Light,
Patty

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