It's AllGood!
“Christianity is a lifestyle- a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared, and loving. However, we made it into an established “religion” (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself. One could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain in most of Christian history, and still believe that Jesus is one’s “personal Lord and Savior”…The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on Earth is too great”
-Richard Rohr
I made this statement on the blog a few months ago;
Oddly enough it is the peace of my being that has given me my strength…. not the other way around.
I must admit I felt really good about that statement when I first penned it. In that moment I was experiencing peace, and it did indeed provide a feeling of strength. I would further clarify that my use of the word “strength” should not be associated with our traditional view of the word as defined by words like power or conquer. My use of the word would more readily be associated with courage, undaunted, assurance, the resolve to do what is good and right while having no thought to do otherwise. This is where I was in my “being” at the time, and it was wonderful.
But…. What happens when you lose that peace? What happens when that “peace of my being” is like the Polar Express come off the rails, sliding across the frozen lake at break neck speed? Well, I do have that answer, I lose my strength. The formula holds true for me. When I have peace I have strength, when that peace exits the scene it takes its good friend strength with it. So here I sit this morning on the other side of the coin, my peace has been scattered about, and my strength is in question, and I don’t like it one bit! I found these two quotes from Martin Luther King Jr:
“Only in the darkness can you see the stars”
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
I know that there are stars to be seen, and I know that I must keep moving forward. I firmly believe that in every challenge there is an opportunity. As a very analytical person I can see that the question at hand is how do I regain my strength? When we simply plug that question into the formula it provides the answer. You must regain your peace. Well just how do you propose I regain my peace?
I must return to that which brought me the peace to begin with. In other words, go with the one who brought you to the dance. So, I must go with God, our Source and loving Creator who also sent these words to me a while back
“The peace of God, with that small still voice, calmly says to me…
It will be all right”
Today I will sit with those words and see how bright the stars become. I will trust in those words this morning and let the details fall where they may.