Giving God room to work and play in our lives. The natural energy of love, light, joy and laughter. Becoming an observer and living in the present.
Laugh at yourself and the world laughs with you. Cry and the world departs from you.
Is it not time for us to lighten up and see how insane our intensity can be? When we're willing to step back and see humor, even in the areas that fall short of our expectations, we get out of the way and give God room to work and play in our lives.
All life is some form of energy, and the way we handle this energy determines our well being. The human body consists of countless atoms and molecules, all of which have their own intelligence, attitudes and attributes.
Take for instance the attitude of judgment and the damaging effect it has not only on oneself but on others. Or the attitudes of anger, resentment, criticism, condemnation and FEAR! (False Evidence Appearing Real) Think of the beliefs we attach to them.
All of these attitudes are destructive and do not express the essence of our true nature. They bind, restrict and limit the free flow and expression of Life and Love.
As I am sitting in the den this afternoon, gazing out the window, I see the leaves of the trees gently flowing, propelled by a soft and calm breeze. An effortless flexibility of adjusting and synchronizing to what is. Like the birds, bees and other animal life that adapt to their envirosnment so easily.
Webster defines "energy" as an inherent power to operate or act.
It is the Father within that doeth the work . . . the spiritual power of a living presence acting in, as and through us. A natural energy of love, light, joy and laughter . . . all aspects of the power of humor.
We humans are inclined to struggle and strain, trying to make things happen and run the universe from our own limited, human perceptions and desires.
To trust in the law of Good is to constantly believe and accept that we are surrounded by a power which can and will cast out all fear from our minds, free us from all bondage and limitation, and set us safe and satisfied in a new order of living. The law of Good (God) expresses freely, orderly, harmoniously and uniquely . . . joyous and brilliant in its creative expression.
"This one thing I do" is that which is uniquely mine to do. We try to do so many things all at the same time. We scatter our efforts and dissipate our energy, paralyzing our lives unintentionally.
We need to take time to get quiet through the practice of prayer and meditation to know what it is we really want to do and where we want to go, before we try to get there. There are people who are centered. Their thoughts and energy are centered and aimed in the direction of their dreams and visions. "This one thing I do" gives us a focus on what we want to accomplish.
Recently, the breaks of my being screamed "Halt" as I created the human condition of bronchitis, which was the way I was accustomed to give my mind and body the rest it needed; to recover from an overload of mental and emotional self-abuse. I had allowed an old pattern of worry, anxiety and overload to dominate my consciousness. An old pattern of trying to live the rest of my life all in this one day.
It was a case of mental congestion of trying to please that critical parent of the past. I took the time I needed to contemplate, reflect and reassess priorities.
I realized how much of the past I had still been holding onto. I was trying to change events of the past and to predict events of the future. The insanity of this realization spoke loud and clear to me and I was flooded with thoughts and feelings of humor and laughter. Laughter at myself for entertaining such insane thinking and once again abusing the beautiful substance that I am.
"Stand back and be an observer of your life," I heard the still small voice within me say.
Our past is the vehicle that brought us to this very moment -- experiences lived with numerous opportunities for learning, unfolding and growing spiritually.
The past has already been lived, gone and is now only a memory. Put it to rest. Choose not to indulge in reruns; rather, choose a new course of action -- an action of newness, aliveness, vitality and enthusiasm, which is centered in the awareness and acceptance of your own divinity. This is the substance and source of all your activity.
Consciously be aware of loving, honoring and respecting the beautiful substance you are. Give yourself nurturing, slowing-down times -- "wholeness" breaks. Listen to your body; learn to say "No" when No is a better answer for your highest good. Integrate all these attributes as a free-flowing "pacesetter" for yourself.
Let a spiritual equilibrium be the rudder of your soul. As so graciously expressed in the Serenity Prayer, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Have the courage to recognize, accept and realize the healing power of humor and laughter in your life. Be wise enough to step back from yourself and your self-absorption. Observe your life as an outsider looking in and listen to that still quiet voice within, which says, "In all things acknowledge Him and He will make the crooked path straight."
Rev. Pat Cross is staff minister at the New Thought Science of Mind Center, Tampa, and founding minister and director of the Holiday Science of Mind Center. Holiday (813) 934-6730