Monthly Archives: August 2016

“THE NUDGINGS OF GOD AND HEARING THE HOLY SPIRIT”

On August 10, 2016 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“Today, I am ready for positive change. I will be responsive to inner nudges that move me in that direction.”

The above is from a daily reading I receive.  I customized it for my daily twelve-step affirmation: Today, with God’s help, I am ready for positive change. I will be responsive to inner nudges that move me in that direction.

I also receive a daily “Three-Minute Retreat” from the Jesuits.  It is also very helpful to my recovery and my life.  Interestingly, today’s retreat talked about hearing the Holy Spirit, and was based on John 16:13.  The crafter of this retreat asked a thought-provoking question: “What gets in the way of my hearing the Spirit?”

I immediately thought of external noise.

But then, nudged by God no doubt, I thought of the really noisy noise in my own mind.  That is the real distraction!

So, how do I turn down the volume in my own noisy mind?

Perhaps stilling my body helps still my mind as well.  Of course, the converse is also true.

Then too, breathing deeply tends to help the mental noise to subside.

Listening to some soothing instrumental music (I love harps and flutes!) is good for me as well.

Noticing lovely things quiets my mind and spirit as well.  Today, before I went for my walk, I noticed our beautiful rose-of-Sharon trees, and the bees which were working on them.

Prayer can help.  Obviously, the Serenity Prayer is good.  There is a reason why it is called the Serenity Prayer.  It is not only a prayer for serenity.  It also helps to bring about the serenity for which I pray.

There is also a wonderfully simple (yet profound) prayer that I learned years ago, while I was doing a “Fifty-Day Spiritual Adventure.”  It is simply this: “Calm my spirit, Lord.”

But before any of this can help, I need to do one simple thing: I need to notice the noise.

A noisy mind is like a small child who keeps tugging on his mom’s arm until she pays attention to him.  After he has been heard, he is (sometimes) ready to settle down.

Perhaps this blog is one way of paying attention to my own noisy mind.  It might even help you, my dear and highly valued reader!

When I (and you) desire positive change, we will pay attention to our mental noise.  Maybe then we will be more sensitive to the nudging of God and the voice of the Holy Spirit.

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EMPTYING MYSELF OF CROTCHETS

On August 9, 2016 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were talking about how I used to be “young and crotchety.”  In other words, I’m a bit better nowadays at being flexible, not overly invested in some of my little thises and thats.  I am, thusly, less crotchety and easier to get along with.

So, I decided to look up the word “crotchety.”  I came up with many definitions, some of them pretty gross, and some interesting, but irrelevant to my search.  However, I also discovered (or concocted?) an interesting connection.  To be crotchety means to be “full of crotchets.”

But, of course, I did not know what a crotchet was.  And how would I know if I was full of them, if I didn’t even know what one was.

A crotchet is a personal preference.  Merriam Webster on line lists the following as part of their definition of “crotchet”: “a highly individual and usually eccentric opinion or preference . . . .”

So, I am now on a one-man crusade to bring back the obsolete phrase “full of crotchets.”  (However, use it mainly on yourself, rather than on others.  If you use it to insult others, you may simply make them more crotchety.)

Being full of highly individual opinions or preferences guarantees that a person will be crotchety.

But aren’t we entitled to our own opinions?

Perhaps, but here is the question: Do most things really require us to have opinions?  Most importantly, do my personal opinions do me or anyone else any good?   Or, do my crotchets simply make me and other people more crotchety?  (And yes, crotchets are most definitely highly contagious.  They are airborne viruses of the soul.)

What opinions am I full of about how my wife should be, about food, about the use of time, etc.?  Lots!

How do I empty myself of these crotches?  I just googled the antonym of “crotchets.”  Not much was helpful.

However, it occurs to me that in order to empty myself of crotchets, I have to do at least three things.

First, I need to be aware of the highly superfluous nature of most of my preferences.  If I am aware of my personal opinions and preferences, that is at least a beginning.

Second, I need to refuse to baptize my opinions and rename them “needs” or “essentials.”  They are what they are: crotchets.

Third, I need to be willing to try new ideas, new foods, new places, new people.  Who knows?  I may find that my own life is enriched, as well as those of others.  In any case, I will be less crotchety.

Years ago, a friend of mine used to pray, “Lord, deliver us from our opinions.”  It is a good prayer.  Perhaps I should pray it more often!

“Determination, Compassion, and the Ant Who Would Not Die”

On August 9, 2016 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

My wife is generally a very compassionate woman—except when it comes to ants. She doesn’t like them, at least not in the house.

So, I was surprised that she had not only spared one of the little creatures, but had actually carefully escorted it out of our house. However, this was only after she had tried to drown the little creature twice.

“Can ants breathe under water?” she asked me, early this morning.

Even though I had already drunk two cups of coffee, I was not prepared for a zoology question. I am in the humanities, not the sciences.

“I don’t think so,” I replied. Then, reaching into my shallow pool of half-remembered trivia, I said, “However, I think they can hold their breath for a surprisingly long time.”

“The reason I asked,” said my sweet, compassionate wife, “is that I tried to drown an ant in the bathroom sink, but he crawled right out. Then, I ran a lot of water in the sink, and was sure I had drowned him, but I turned around and there he was again.”

“Why didn’t you just smash him?” I asked.

“Well, I figured if he was that determined to live, I’d better let him; I took him outside and let him go.”

Here endeth the reading of today’s lesson!

Or rather, here the lesson beginneth!

Sometimes, sheer doggedness wins out in the end. The determination not to give up, no matter if a giant is trying to drown you, can prolong your existence. This is especially true if the giant has a compassionate respect for stubbornness and the will to survive.

God is a very compassionate Giant. Feel like you’re drowning, like nothing is working? I doubt that God is trying to drown you, but it may feel as if that is true. And, of course, other people, your job, your school, your own unrealistic expectations—these and a thousand other giants may be pouring cold weather (or raw sewerage?) on you.

Hold your breath and keep crawling out. Who knows? Compassion may very well win out in the end. If you choose to hold on and hold out, you may find compassion holding out her hand after all.

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