Are We There Yet?

Well into a very slow automobile journey back home from a “trip to Grandma’s”, the inevitable cry goes out from the children in the back seat... "Are we there yet"? All parents will understand.

Some years ago while traveling with our four children on a long trip, well past sunset with the sky darkening,  a sleepy cry went out from the back seat as the car slowed down for traffic… Are We There Yet?  

 I admit that I smiled a patient smile, recalling my own whining of those same words MANY years before as we slowly navigated the two lane curvy, hilly roads of Kentucky and Tennessee driving south from Ohio in the 1940s,    Even though we were surrounded by Love, safe and comfortable right where we were, we wanted to be somewhere else!  Some things never change!

It seems today that our individual lives are rushed, forced to some degree, pressed on by a reaching out to the future and what it may bring.   While we may long for relaxation, peace, time to contemplate, to enjoy, our world seems to be:

Hurry, Scurry, Rush, and Worry,

Race Ahead to See What Comes Next!!

Why is it that where we ARE, even though we are surrounded by Love,  is often not where we WANT to be?  If at work, do we wish to be at home? If at home, do we wish to be somewhere else?   Do we frequently feel the need to be in some other “place”.   

 Is it that we believe that the call of some distant place is more fascinating, dreaming that if we were only THERE, we would be happy, excited, fulfilled, satisfied.   Maybe we entertain a sense of frustration or boredom feeling that our present location, our present time, our present situation is somehow not enough.

The lovely picture of “Mother Snail” with baby on board was a pleasant wake-up.  Gliding along slowly on her muscular foot, she seems serene and content with her progress, perhaps comforted by her little hitchhiker and carrying her portable home on her back, having everything she needs at this very moment.  

Often in business and other activities in which we are engaged we look to the future as “an escape” , a quick getaway from the work we are doing.   A favorite hymn has often served to comfort and slow down the temptation to rush ahead to the future, opening thought to the NOW of the present experience.   

The first verse asks: 

Why search the future and the past?

Why do ye look with tearful eyes

And seek far off for paradise?

Before your feet Life’s pearl is cast. (1)

The Bible, written centuries ago but still amazingly pertinent to today’s experience proclaims:  “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is"(2)  

(We can also add a little footnote to that verse as a reminder… We are Loved… NOW, HERE, In This Place at this Time, TODAY!! ) 

So often we are tempted to look just beyond where we are to the next human goal.   The Bible offers a clear view of how differently Jesus of Nazareth operated.   Expressing patience, love and understanding, he was “in the moment”, living out each step of his experience. Not rushing forward but healing in every moment, taking each opportunity to express love and patience right where he was.   Jesus often went to be alone in a quiet place where he could listen to the still  small voice of truth.  His best work was not in running feverishly from town to town, but done in the quiet of prayer and communication with his Father. 

 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (3)

 From his example we can realize a better sense of our spiritual existence and present perfection and our reflection of God who is LOVE!!  Most important concern should not be where is our body but where is our thought!!  Love is a here and now!!

If snails could smell fragrances, we can see a lovely picture of  “Mother Snail” setting a wonderful example for us,  stopping to smell the flowers on her leisurely trip forward.  Maybe that sweet Mother Snail knows the last verse of that comforting hymn and sings it as she slides along…

Then rise and greet the signs that prove

Unreal the ages’ long lament;

The “one far-off divine event” Is now,

and that event is Love.(4)

Safe travels Mrs. Snail

(1)   Christian Science Hymnal    Hymn 391

(2)   I John 3:2

(3)   Luke 17:20 – 21  

(4)   Christian Science Hymnal    Hymn 391

HE CAME AGAIN TODAY

When I first saw him through the family room window he was feeding at the deer feeder in the back yard.  He looked normal enough, a big buck, with a full rack of antlers, standing stately and proud.  But then, as he stepped away from the feeder and turned to move down the hill it appeared that he had stumbled. I watched intently as he lifted himself back up and I realized it was not a stumble but a severe limp. This big boy had apparently lost over half of his left  foreleg in some type of unfortunate incident, perhaps a trap or another animal had caused it. He moved slowly but steadily, regained his balance and moved on down the hill. That was over a year ago and I’ve often wondered what happened to him.

When I was walking through the house today, I glanced out the window and saw him again.  This time he was trying to bend down to drink from the fish pond. He was bent over, awkwardly, and I waved at him through the window. Then I thought, is that a silly thing to do, waving at a deer??  But at least I had his attention.  I so wanted to communicate with him, tell him how thrilled I was to see him, to find that he was alive and well, how much I loved his presence, the beautiful image he made up against the trees in the woods behind my house.  But, instead of letting well enough alone, I quietly slipped out onto the back deck were he could see me plainly thinking that  I could better communicate with him. But, alas, it frightened him and he gracefully fled down the hill with no apparent loss of agility due to the shortened leg.

I think I learned a lesson this afternoon.   I had so wanted to be part of his world, to let him know that we were feeding him and the eight or nine doe that are usually close by because we welcomed them, and to indicate forgiveness that they had managed to knock over a couple of rows of corn stalks so they could lie comfortably while eating my sweet corn last summer!!!    Actually, we see them constantly in the backyard,  in the garden in the summer or at the feeder, maybe eating apples from the trees in the fall or acorns or the crimson clover that we planted for them in the winter.     But due to my overzealous approach, I frightened him off.  

It made me wonder why I couldn’t just enjoy him through the window. I certainly had no intent of frightening him, but wanted to share a lovely crisp winter afternoon with him, just watching and admiring him. Then I wondered how many people I may have turned away over the years  due to an overzealous attempt to be friendly or to share things that I hold to be important, but awkwardly like a "bull in a china shop"!!    I started thinking that it is high time for me to approach life more gently, to appreciate things where they are, and as they are and not be so forward, so intent on forcing a relationship, so overzealous in sharing the things I have learned about life, God’s love and the sustaining power of spirit.  

Maybe, after so many years of trying to be “In Control” of things,  I am finally learning  to follow to some degree the counsel offered in the Book of Proverbs in the Bible:   “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  

When we are listening to the spiritual intuitions that come to us as divine ideas, we learn to move as God directs, not too soon, not too aggressively, but patiently, lovingly, intelligently.   I all of a sudden thought about Jesus, a man who had so very much to share, so much love to give, such a compassionate and loving heart.  When he was sharing, he did travel to different locations but usually he went to a place and people came to him when they were ready.   He didn't wave at them, run after them, tackle them and hold them down to share his thoughts!!! OK, waving may be okay.  

As God, who is Life,  unfolds the petals of a rose at just the right time, in just the right place, even amidst the thorns, his “angel whisperings” lead us to do the right thing, the loving thing, the intelligent thing, when and as we should.

I am hoping that beautiful old Buck will forgive me for my exuberance and give me another opportunity to love him from a distance, and to enjoy that deep love of life which is proof of God’s presence.

Picky-Picky

The speaker stepped up to the podium but didn't say a word.  I was getting a little nervous for him. Was there a problem? Why was he just looking out over the audience?
SUDDENLY, he held up a large white poster board, and shouted “What do you see”? We all sort of jumped in our seats. All we saw was the white board with one small dot on it, smack dab in the center. 

    

After recovering from the initial surprise, one of the ladies in the audience tentatively ventured an answer… “A small black speck?” she offered. 

Then he really came back loud and strong. “SEE WHAT I MEAN? This board is all white but there is ONE, TEENEY WEENIE black spot on it and THAT’s what you see.   Notice that you didn’t say a large white poster with a teeny dot.  That's the problem with being a janitor!  People only see the tiny flaws, not the big picture”!

Then his shoulders dropped and he gave us a wide smile. The tension broken, we all relaxed. 

This was a Toastmasters meeting and we were all here to improve our public speaking skills, to learn to improvise, to structure and deliver different kinds of speeches and presentations. 

Bill owned a fairly large janitorial service in the Los Angeles area and he showed his frustration in that speech, apparently an ongoing problem in the cleaning service business, that no matter how much effort you spend or how clean you get a building or offices, there is always SOMEONE that sees a small imperfection or spot. 

Bill made his point very clearly as he discussed how so many times there is a lack of appreciation for the efforts expended and too many unrealistic expectations of what people should get for their money. 

I loved that speech. It’s funny how some things stick with you to use as examples in life. I have thought about it many times since, the mark of a good, impressive message. It has made me think how often we are “Picky-Picky” over the smallest things.   By way of definition, Picky-Picky is a fictional cat in the Ramona series of children’s’ books by Beverly Cleary.  Picky-Picky is the Quimbys' old grumpy cat and his name comes from his finicky attitude towards his cat food. Having three cats, we know all too well the signs of “Picky-Picky”. 

We have all probably experienced that situation where despite our best efforts someone just isn't satisfied. Whether in our family situation or at work, in a sporting event, at church or in a public meeting. Way too many times in marriages, or personal relationships, impatience or intolerance raise tempers and cause hurt feelings, or worse.

As a parent, I have been guilty of holding too high a standard, many times an inflexible (some would say “bull headed”) expectation of what my beloved children should be doing, saying, wearing, thinking, and acting… the whole gamut. In some instances I have “missed the ball” and some wonderful moments to see surprising creativity, to appreciate the unexpected, to experience the beauty of “outside the box” thinking by my children, due to my own adherence to a previously outlined course of behavior or action. 

Now, as I mentioned, I have seen the other side of Picky-Picky too!!   And, as my friend Bill of the janitorial service learned, it hits closer to home when we are the object of the exacting scrutiny, the meticulous appraisal of our best efforts and persnickety criticism of our performance. (Think, "Boy, he can dish it out but he can’t take it"!!!) 
 As the object of criticism we can learn even greater lessons. I’m sure most of us have been on the receiving end and realize just how hurtful and unjust it often seems. 

On one occasion I had been elected to serve as the leader of Sunday services in our local church. This was an important position and having been elected by the membership to serve that three-year term, I worked very hard to prepare. I was pretty nervous and wanted to do a good job.

In preparation I selected appropriate scripture readings, selected hymns, rehearsed, and even took a series of Reading Aloud lessons from a professional instructor. Although we were relatively young, didn’t have a lot of money and were raising four children, I invested in a new suit, several beautiful blue shirts, an expensive tie, new shoes, even got a haircut!! 

At the first Sunday morning service, my “debut”, I was really excited. Everything went off without a hitch. I was so delighted… until… a lady came up to me afterwards in the vestibule and said, “You really should have worn a white shirt. Readers ALWAYS wear white shirts”.     Psssssssss. That sound was the air going out of my balloon!! After all of the work, the hours, the prayer, the study, the attention to detail… my shirt turned out to be the problem!! 

At that moment… I KNEW Picky Picky!!!

I got to the car, sat there for a minute with wife and 4 kids on board, and I started to laugh. I laughed and laughed and couldn’t stop. I had run head long into Picky-Picky.   You know, I just loved that dear lady. I loved that she was so concerned that everything be just right. I loved that she wanted me to be the best. I loved that I could see the love that she was expressing, even though it seemed like a hammer to my head.

You may have read this interpretation of Jesus’ counsel about criticizing others as given in Matthew 7 where he described the “mote and the beam”. This translation is from The Message translation by Biblical scholar Professor Eugene Peterson:
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. … It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt?... …Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.” 

The lessons I have learned from the grumpy cat, Picky-Picky are… Do be meticulous. Do strive for perfection. Do be fastidious, painstaking, and fussy. But not when it gets in the way of love, understanding, openness, sincerity, receptivity to new ideas. 

Because… Love is the basis of life and is it more important than anything else in the world.   (And blue shirts aren’t really all that bad!!!!)

Kilkenny Cats - Good Cat - Bad Cat

Two cats sit before mirrors. One cat a fluffy little blue-eyed, loving cat sees reflected back from that mirror a loving image, innocent and gentle, mirroring back the love that is projected from the original.

Now picture an angry cat, a cat with a grudge perhaps, a cat that is unhappy, maybe bitter, maybe suffering a bad attitude, a bad hair day perhaps. He sees reflected back the snarling, hissing, unhappy visage staring back in anger.

The mirror gives a pure reflection, faithfully imaging back the characteristics of the original in each case. Two cats. Two mirrors. Same law of reflection in operation, the mirror reflecting back what it sees, but the pictures are completely different.

The image of the angry cat reminds me of an old Irish legend, that can be recited or sung, and it has a real-life lesson. It goes like this:

There once were two cats of Kilkenny,
Each thought there was one cat too many,
So they fought and they fit,
And they scratched and they bit,
Till, excepting their nails
And the tips of their tails,
Instead of two cats, there weren't any.

Now, lest you think I spend my days thinking about Irish fighting cats, let me explain.   This thought came up recently when I was examining my own actions, wondering why I was feeling unhappy with myself. It seems that too often some things get under my skin, and they shouldn't  I think television and the news media have a lot to do with it, but it’s my own reaction, similar to that angry cat that is at fault. The bad feeling comes from my own impatience and a seeming lack of justice in the human scene that brings it on. I am seeing a reflection of my own critical thinking.
Oh, the issues are endless, immigration injustices, gun control and the arguments on both sides of that issue, voting rights, the lack of love and respect for our fellow man as witnessed in gay issues, political maneuvering, equal rights for women, international turmoil, world climate change, the U.S. budget deficit, and more and more…. 
How tempted I am to respond, to strike back with sometimes critical, ego driven comments which do not actually reflect the peace and harmony which I strive and pray for. 

And how subtle is that "temptation to engage", to wrestle, to contend, to scream and shout our opinions. The TV stations even invite us to “respond’ to controversial issues, “Weigh in...Tell us what you think!!” they say.   Like poking and prodding us to fight, to get into the scrap!! The equivalent of the old boyhood challenge “I dare ya to knock the block off my shoulder!” 
That peaceful cat, looking out and seeing the loving peaceful cat reflected back has become a role model for me.

A statement in the widely read and referenced Bible companion book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, gives us a clue to why we react this way. The author, theologian Mary Baker Eddy, writes “Pictures are mentally formed before the artist can convey them to canvas. So is it with all material conceptions.” * She elaborates her point by saying, “Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thoughts.”

When I am feeling contentious, getting angry over the news or other issues that trouble me, I am acting out those mental pictures I have been developing. Like the artist, I am painting the pictures held in thought on the canvas of my life. But sometimes they have not been pretty ones.

The Bible has some clear guidance to help stop us before we get too deep into the contention. A great verse says: “The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.” ** The Message Bible translation of that same verse brings it home to us today in an even clearer picture: “The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before it bursts.”

When Jesus was confronted by anger and strong opinions, what did he do? He turned away to walk through the crowd; stooped and drew in the sand when confronted by those who questioned his judgment; and he turned the other cheek. A wonderful clue shows us how he avoided the petty day-to-day arguments. He said: “I am not of this world”.*** His sights were higher, his goals more spiritual, his boundaries unlimited. His view of life transcended the material, conflicting views of those around him as he lifted thought to be in the secret place of the most High, the Kingdom of Heaven, the realm of thought where God lives. He counseled his followers to be Peacemakers. This man, the highest earthly spiritual representative of his Father, set the example for us and assured us that we too could do the works that he did. 

After all, our day-to-day crises, our troubling present, those things that upset us today will fade away, but we have an eternity in which  to love. We, too, can say, "I am not of this world."  We can get started today, casting off the contention, the angry cat in each of us, and reflect love and harmony in our thoughts and actions like that loving kitty.

Science and Health assures us that: "Man is harmonious when governed by Soul. Hence the importance of understanding the truth of being, which reveals the laws of spiritual existence." ****

Don't you just LOVE... LOVE?

*      Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures – by Mary Baker Eddy page 86:29
**    Proverbs 17:14 King James Version of The Bible ***  John 8:23 
**** Science and Health  page 273:18

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For those who have inquired about Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, referenced in some of my articles, here’s the information.  This book is used in Bible study by students of Christian Science and people of many different faiths.

It explains the scientific laws behind the teachings and healings of Christ Jesus. From the first chapter, “Prayer,” to her exegeses of Genesis and Revelation, the author invites readers to deeply consider the allness of God, the perfection of man as God's spiritual creation, and how an understanding of these facts brings healing—just as it did in biblical times. For over 135 years, readers have testified that reading and studying this book has given them a spiritual sense of the Bible and their permanent relationship to God, and has also resulted in physical healing and spiritual uplift.   For more information or to purchase this book, click here.