A little bit of humility

I have a confession to make. I am vain. Me, a 47 year old woman, goes to yoga and catch myself comparing how I do poses to the teenager next to me. I look to see if I can bend a little deeper, twist a little further and hold a pose a bit longer. It just goes to show me that I still have a long way to go and I have not arrived yet. When I catch myself doing those kinds of things it is my signal to shift the way I see myself and to be gentle with myself. It just doesn't feel good to compare myself nor is it loving to the other person I compare myself to.

Who can call themselves a Christian?

Recently, I was talking with an acquaintance of mine. We were talking about the symbol of the fish. She said that it stood for the belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the only way to God. I shared how I saw it very differently. I saw it as a symbol of my belief in Jesus as the spiritual master who fully evolved into the divine being that God created all of us to be. I also believe that all of the spiritual masters demonstrated the universal truth of our sacredness. She was rather insistent that it only had one meaning. I am often saddened when I hear people making God so small and confined. How could this incredible power create such diversity and richness and insist on one way? It is such an incongruency. When I think in those terms, I feel small and cut off.

I dropped the conversation because I could feel myself wanting to convince her otherwise. I know that anytime I want to convince someone, the original point gets lost and it becomes about my need to be right. I am grateful for my personal experience of God and Jesus and that if I so choose, I can display the fish calling myself a Christian. It is OK that I have a very different perspective of Christianity. I no longer have to deny myself my Christian identity simply because my perspective and experience is dramatically different from that of traditional Christianity. I follow what Jesus teaches and demonstrates to the best of my ability. I endeavor to live in a way that glorifies God by honoring the God presence in every person I meet. I usually fall short of his example, nevertheless- he is my compass and wayshower. I heard recently the term, culturally Christian, spiritually unlimited. That seems to say it all.

I love the work!

In her book "This Time I Dance" Tama Kieves says “Where you find your natural exuberance, you will find security.” That seems so counter intuitive to everything I have ever been taught. Where you find a steady paycheck, you will find security. Where you find an area with shortages, you will find security. Those are the things we are taught by well meaning people. Yet I know that I feel more secure in doing what I love than I ever did teaching. Michael and I often talk about if we will ever retire or not. I can't see myself not doing this-teaching, writing,speaking, ministering-in some way, shape or form. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to get up and do what I love to do every morning. My desire is that everyone has the same experience. The world would be an incredibly happy place if we were doing the work that we were created to do.

Tama comes on Sunday to share herself and her story with us. I love being able to bring people in to share their experience and wisdom with us. It is amazing how hearing one simple idea from someone who actually practiced it can change live. This is the best!