Since I waited until my forties to have children, there were things I never understood about my mother until now. I did not know what she meant when she said, ¨I have so much to do that it makes me tired just thinking about it.¨ :)
And there was that occasional look on her face that puzzled me too. Today I know that expression well. It is called exasperation.
It seems to me that exasperation is a point where I can pause and choose my next step. How am I going to respond to those two little squirts who brought me to this point? (Probably I just cleaned a room and they have in only 5 minutes scattered toys all over it again.) Can I choose love?
I am trying to practice Dan JosephÅ› suggestion in his book, Inspired by Miracles (based on his personal interpretation of the Course in Miracles, http://danjoseph.com).
When faced with exasperation, Dan proposes that if I can pause and ask God, ¨how do You see this situation?¨ Or say, ¨God, how do You view this person?¨ And then, ¨I open myself to Your thoughts, Your view, Your love. I receive the miracle of Your love for this person and these events.¨
I believe these love miracles are true, constant, sure, and always available.
Boy oh boy, it really helps if I can only seize the opportunity of exasperation. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don´t (and I need the zipper!).
Today a bunch of little kids are coming over to play. ¨Dear God, help me see them with Your eyes and love them with Your love. It will be a challenge because I have lots of housework to do.¨
Yeah . . . bring it on! :)
8.13.2007
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3 comments:
i can certainly relate on a few different levels. my daughter has a little friend who really gets on my nerves. when this friend comes over to play, a negative attitude takes over. it has helped for me to step outside myself and observe my ego mind with all it's judgements, to let them go, and return to the mind of Christ. thanks for the reminder that Love holds up even in the challenges of parenthood!
Marilyn, I think just asking myself how God sees a person will help me feel more loving towards them. The more I am able to push my self aside, and let God/Love dwell within me, the more love and grace I have. On my own I can do nothing.
That's wonderful - how does God see this person/situation.
The Sufi poet/mystic Rumi enjoins us to see with the eyes of the Beloved.
I can relate to similar feelings here at my day job. All the posturing, and manuevering and vain attempts to prove self-worth gets pretty tiresome (and Im speaking about my self!) :o)
Here is the Rumi quote...
Who sees inside from outside?
Who finds hundreds of mysteries
even where minds are deranged?
See through his eyes what he sees.
Who then is looking out from his eyes?
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