Finding a Path

Though it is true your path is your path and no one can tell you how to lead your life, it is not a sign of weakness to listen to others. Listen with an open heart and an open mind. If your mind is changed on something, then great. If you become more convinced that you are on target, then great. It does not matter that you agree with someone or disagree with someone. What matters is how you feel about what you hear or are told, and whether or not your heart tells you something is the truth or not. This does not mean subjective opinions or perspectives – for the truth is the truth.

A title of priest, imam or rabbi means nothing. They are as we are, trying to understand this life. There are those however, who will surprise you. Not all are jaded or confused by their religion. It is how one uses what they know that serves as a barometer for a person’s spirit than their place in this world.

So do not try to fit yourself into a box. It is not about finding someone else’s path that matches with your own, because in the end all paths lead to the same place. The question is how far you want to travel and how tough do you want to make things on yourself. Do not be afraid that others will not understand. More often than not people will not understand, but that is okay as long as you are comfortable with your own sin, and have your own relationship with what you describe as God.

Words cannot describe that which is indescribable. So to those who think they know and have words they think can classify others, and the God they think they know, let them be. Let them be because their path is their path, and they will know in God’s time, not yours and not theirs.

Turn Yourself Around

When you bend your will to that of others, have you not compromised your own heart? Have you not given way to the restless mind? Penalties and judgments in this world are just that, penalties and judgments in this world. This is a temporary life and yet we make every decision to please the dictates of this life. We would bend our will for the support of others even if we knew it was the wrong way. We would bend our will to the laws of this life, even if in reality we were not answerable to those laws. You can try to shape the opinions of who you are and what you do, but your intent is always known.

What is your reputation worth if you do not lay it on the line? What is your money worth if it sits in a bank? What are your kind words worth if they stop at your mouth? What are your actions worth if they don’t get off the ground? There is only now, so if you are looking for tomorrow, or for yesterday, turn yourself around, and do not let the will of your heart be subdued any longer.

All a Dream

I have seen a glimpse of my future, and yet it is not my future. I have seen a glimpse of my life and yet it is not my life. Is it a warning? Is it a test? Is it what is to become? All of these questions I have asked and yet none of them matter so much as, can I trust? Can I trust that what is planned for me is for the best? Can I trust that what is to come does not matter so much as how I choose to live, how we choose to live? The answers to these questions, I do not know. All that I do know is I can either trust, or I can wallow in vein. I can trust, or I can eat myself alive with a worry so punishing I will wish it were all a dream. And yet, it was – all a dream.

Philippines Flood Relief

Please visit a site I created for helping survivors of the recent Philippines flooding from Typhoons Parma and Ketsana (Ondoy). Philippines Flood Relief.

The flooding is actually worse than in this picture because water is over one story high at this time.

Truth Divine

Wisdom does not come from words. It does not come from having an education or by having degrees. It does not come from the ability to speak eloquently or the ability to entice others. Wisdom comes from the divine. It comes from living the truth. It comes from an open heart. It comes from an open mind. It comes from sharing a love so great, it cannot be contained even within our own soul. It is the spark of thought. It is the cadence of words, the cadence of our spirit. It is all of these brought together as a truth shared among those who wish to hear it, speak it and live it. Wisdom is truth divine.

Have Mercy

Have mercy on others for they know not always what they do. Have mercy on others, for they also hold the keys to the kingdom. Have mercy on others, for even in their misgivings, they have taught you the love of God. Surely, although influence comes from all directions, we always have the choice to listen to our hearts, through which God speaks, or to our minds, through which outside influence enters. Influence is seen and often times not seen. It is not always by our choice. In times of confusion, we must turn inward to the divine.

His Language is Love

God speaks in a language of love and understanding. He speaks in a language of hope and compassion. He speaks through the kindness and warmth of one’s heart and soul. God speaks in ways that we can all understand, whether we are young or old, man or woman, regardless of our creed or culture, language or nation. His language is love, and regardless of how we choose to translate it, it is always unconditional. It is unforgiving, because there is nothing to forgive. It is kind because there is no other way. It is everlasting because it is all there is.

The Disconnect

Being a witness to injustice is not the same as stopping it. Being aware of a problem is not the same as solving it. Being aware of the truth is not the same as living it. Too often we think it is enough to simply be aware of a problem without doing anything to resolve it. We tell ourselves we didn’t cause it and so it is not our responsibility. Others will take care of it. Let someone else do it. But if we each lay the blame on someone else, who will act? Who is left to clean up our mess? Who is left to carry the banner of truth? Who is left to defend the defenseless? Who is left to feed the hungry? Who is left to stop injustice? Who is left if we all decide to put the blame on someone else? Will we leave it to our children? Will we leave it to “luck” and “chance?”

I won’t. We have to be aware of the disconnect between thinking we know and truly living the truth. We all say that we should treat everyone with respect, and that we should love one another, but do we? Do you? Life is more than checking a few check boxes to say we’ve got it. It’s about living what we believe. It’s about truly living and breathing what we believe to be the truth. And if we can’t do that, then maybe it’s time to ask ourselves if what we think we know is really what we know.

What I Want for You

When you look at another person’s life, do not judge them by your life, for your life is not their life. Do not judge them by your wants, or your dreams, or your standards. Look at a person through the lens of their decisions and of the life they may have had to live. We are each born into different circumstances. Some are born into wealthy families and others into poverty. Some have large families and some are orphans. Some have illnesses and some are healthy. We are all different and should not be painted by the same brush.

What you deem as an impoverished life may be rich with love. What you deem as strangers and acquaintances may be family. We don’t always know and sometimes we are not meant to know. We cannot judge another’s life based on what we would have their life be, or what we would have our lives be. Surely there are those who are in need, but we must ask ourselves if what we want for a person is what they truly need.

Sacrilege

If only people would defend helpless, persecuted or less fortunate individuals as much as they defend their religion or their favorite sports team. It seems as though we are picking the wrong battles. We are fighting for something but it is as if we have no cause. We fight to fight, without reason. We have forgotten what’s important. Rather than wanting to always be right, maybe we should strive to understand that others may make different choices. It’s okay to disagree, but there comes a point when our disagreeing leads to nothing but inaction and more fighting. Our efforts become misdirected and we no longer see the picture in front of us. Instead, we become blinded by what we want to see, by what we are told to see. Look past the differences because there are none. The real battle begins with ourselves. Know yourself and you will know others.