A Covenant

 In “A Covenant of Water,” a novel written by Abraham Verghese, a lot of bad things happen to people, and a lot of belief in a God or Power is dropped.  Gods are supposed to make things go my way, which is always seen as a good way.  There seems to be physical “Conditions,” that reveal an imperfect world, that is, the real world.  There is one woman throughout most of the book who never stops believing in spite of all the sad things that happen.  She is a Connector. And she shows up, a twelve year old, at first being married to a man she has never met who is 40.  But the book reveals that we are all One, a Covenant Connection, that not even a thin window can separate us.  What holds us together is love, not everything going our way.  

Action

Jesus Christ proclaims the Kingdom of God.  Many followers think it is their job to tell people about the kingdom.  But notice what Jesus does when he heals.  He heals a leper.  It is physical healing, but that might be all.  In other words, the now former leper has a chance for a much better life in the community.  Jesus counsels him to tell no one.  That is, talk is cheap.  Rather, reveal healing by action, in this case, to go to the temple and offer sacrifice.   The very action of temple sacrifice reveals that this former crippled person can now do things with his hands.  And it shows that he is still a believer in his religion.  The point?  Action reveals a lot more than words.  It is the same with people who have the miracle of recovery from addition.  Words are less convincing than action.  Action deepens the recovery more than talking about what happened.  People are more convinced by what they see than by what they hear.  

What You Have

 When a searcher comes into a new group, congregation, who are on a spiritual path in their own search for a fuller life, the newcomer might be very skeptical and standoffish.  Everyone seems kind of “weird.”  The newcomer is there physically but standing off with some judgment.  I often can tell if they are engaged or not.  So what to do?  I have learned one quip.  Say to that person, “You may not want what we have, but do you want what you have?”  It worked for me when I came back to my spiritual path practice.  And have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

First Things

 When someone comes into my church or to a meeting for the first time, as searchers, I don’t try to win their trust.  That would take quite more than one visit.  I recognize them as new and searching.  They are not tourists looking for information.  A searcher has a hole in their soul, their life, and it is a deep enough wound to bring them here.  One thing may get them to come back.  It is not good coffee or a treat, or friendliness.  They probably don’t do friendliness with strangers very well.  What will bring them back is HOPE.  They have to hear a message that gives them hope, that whatever we have, might be a solution for them.  

Daily Routine

Why do I make my bed each morning when I get up?  It helps my self-esteem.  I have accomplished something I set out to do each day.  It then gives me some self-esteem.  And my room looks neater.  This prepares me for other things I say I am going to do each day, such as pray (coffee first) and meditate, or jog and then pray.  I want to be on the early road to completing  things.  It is a good way to start the day.  

Adjustments

 If I have a goal, I have to adjust my behavior, my lifestyle to line up with that goal.  If I want to run a race, I have to train.  If I am going to be a regular blogger, then I have to set aside time to read, think, pray and come up with blogs each day.  This is sane living.  Insane living is when I would change my goal to fit my lifestyle.  I mean a lifestyle chosen, not forced into.  Aging changes us as does illness and so goals change.  But when I have the choice I know sanity from insanity.  So far, I still blog.  Subject to sane lifestyle.  Living a lifestyle of “No one cares,” self-pity, would change m goal of being a daily blogger.  So far I am sane…but I have my days.  Don’t let those days win out.  

Belief

 I am forever running into people who say they were brought up this or that religion, but are now atheists or non-believers.  As they tell their story, they acted in very selfish and unloving ways in their past, well still unsettled in their beliefs about Deity or Power.  Then they tell how they recovered a better way of living, becoming much more loving but now a non-believer.  What they don’t believe in and used to believe in is God as an idea, a doctrine, dogma.  But they are now very loving and loyal people.  They believe in love, and God is Love, a verb and not a noun.  I also meet people who say they do believe in God, but are quite selfish and self-centered, focused on money, power, fame, themself.  An idea won’t make you a better, more loving person.  A Power, an energy, will.