Oct 13, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
With all the hype, how could I not see the film, The Passion of the Christ, ― although I was not the first in line?
First, I watched Mel Gibson interviewed on TV explaining his motives and hopes for the movie. There were countless published dialogues with theologians and religious leaders to read as well as editorials by religion editors and guest columnists. Not to mention participation in the on-line chats and discussion boards. And yes, I re-read the Gospel accounts. Yet perhaps more intriguing is a chapter titled, “Atonement and Eucharist” found in the book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy.
Long before the movie, I was caught up in the stir of a pre-Easter examination of what the sacrifice and triumph of Jesus meant to humanity, then and now.
I can tell you I was initially surprised by my reaction to the movie. As one who tends to get squeamish confronted with graphic violence and suffering on-screen, my usual practice would be to avoid that type of show. But after reading a comment on the website www.spirituality.com, “…can I not watch 126 minutes with him,” I decided to go. In fact, my eyes rarely left the screen.
During the movie I felt strength, love, awe, humility, and spiritually empowered. And a deepened desire to be obedient to Jesus’ teachings and to follow his example.
Expectation has a direct effect on results in any situation, including watching a movie. My view of Jesus as Master, Way-shower, Teacher, and Exemplar entered the theater with me. My expectations for watching The Passion of the Christ were from the perspective of a student. Open and eager for learning, I anticipated lessons, and expected to be taught and was.
For me, “The Passion” was a classroom as is the entire life and ministry of Jesus. But class didn’t end with the crucifixion. It continues with lessons learned from the resurrection and 40 days later with the ascension. Of course, Mel’s movie didn’t tell the whole story of Jesus, but for me there was never a moment that Jesus appeared to be a helpless victim. To the contrary, there was never a moment when Jesus wasn’t continuing to teach and heal. Could his most profound lesson be his teachings on love? If so, what kind of love?
A love that can forgive those who falsely accused and tortured him, even as he hung on the cross.
How many times have I felt defeated or thought about revenge when friend or foe did something to deliberately hurt me?
A love that could express compassion toward his grieving mother while he himself was suffering.
How many times have I been too self-absorbed to express compassion to another in need?
A love that could offer comfort and heal others, not only while suffering himself, but also in the midst of his enemies.
How many times has a sense of inadequacy stopped me from sharing a hopeful message or fear kept me from saying what I know is true, because criticism or laughter might follow?
Watching “The Passion” has increased the fervency in my heart and soul for Jesus’ commandments: Love one another. Love thy neighbor. Love thy enemy. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you. Pray for them, which despitefully use you and persecute you. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. And what about the commandment regarding his works when he said, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also. Consider his healing works and the possibilities of this promise!
In Science and Health, Eddy writes, “To keep the commandments of our Master and follow his example, is our proper debt to him and the only worthy evidence of our gratitude for all that he has done.” Gratitude fills my heart to have been reminded of the sacrifice and triumph of Jesus, and reminds me to commemorate his lessons to humanity by obeying his words, If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Oct 13, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
It’s a story that needs to be told. Many women have left their imprint on history, but her-stories historically have not been published. Women have touched and changed lives, and their beneficiaries do well to recognize those who have impacted their lives.
The theme for this year’s National Women’s History Month is “Women Inspiring Hope and Possibility.” I’ve decided it’s about time I recognize and honor the two women who have inspired me and taught me most about life, courage and persistence.
My mother
Most folks reading this do not know my mother and never will. But her story may sound familiar to some. By society’s standards, even today, she was a child bride. Unhappy at home with her mom and stepfather, she was easily wooed by a handsome young man in uniform. Her teen years were spent as a wife and mother of two. By 1967, she was the mother of four children – three of them grown. She had been married two-thirds of her life.
She struggled with a troubled marriage and health problems. What was next for her? When her marriage ended in divorce, she hit the road taking me and little else. She did manage to pack her ice cream freezer, Bible and another book a friend had given to her that I’ll mention later. Our journey not only took us westward. It would be a life-finding journey for my mother that would bless my life more than I have space to say.
How can I summarize her next forty years? My mother found a new life for herself step by step. She never gave up no matter how rough and bumpy the road got. Her belief in herself grew as her trust in God grew. Over the course of these years there were many firsts and accomplishments: her own car, bank account, credit card, a house, swimming pool, GED, college, and a career. There were also the intangibles: happiness, peace of mind, satisfaction, freedom, identity, self-completeness, fulfillment, and health.
I think of the example my mother has been for me. Her life has taught me: “It’s never too late.” “Never give up”. “No hill is too steep to climb.” “Beginnings and first times can happen throughout life at any age.” “Happiness is not bought with money.” “Home is in your heart.” “Joy is God-given and can’t be taken from you.” I could go on and on!
Another woman gave my mother much inspiration as she began her life anew. She had an enormous influence on my life as well.
Mary Baker Eddy
The first forty years of her life was full of struggles and chronic poor health. Widowed three months before the birth of her only child, she returned to her parent’s home for support. Her second husband proved unfaithful and abandoned her. She eventually divorced him. Then, following a serious accident, she found healing answers in the Bible. And like my mother, she established a new life.
Mary Baker Eddy became an influential American author, teacher and religious leader, noted for her groundbreaking ideas about spirituality and health, which she named Christian Science. She articulated those ideas in, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. This was the book the friend gave to my mom. Her revolutionary ideas were based on the healing works of Christ Jesus, which she saw as divinely natural and repeatable.
For my mom, Science and Health was life regenerating, giving her comfort, hope and practical ideas about prayer and healing. She gained a new view of her identity that proved to be health giving and self-transforming. Perhaps it was the opening line of this book that affirmed the promise of my mom’s forward course: “To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, to-day is big with blessings.”
In her book, Mary Baker Eddy, author, Gillian Gill, describes the life journey of this remarkable woman. “Conventional in her twenties, weak in her thirties, struggling in her forties, a social outcast in her fifties, indefatigably working in her sixties, famous in her seventies, formidable in her eighties, Mrs. Eddy rewrites the female plot and offers new ways to strive and achieve.” The life journeys of both my mother and Mary Baker Eddy illustrate how anyone can overcome difficulties and hardships, achieve a goal, fulfill a dream, and make a vision reality. No words are truer than these of Mary Baker Eddy. “The lives of great men and women are miracles of patience and perseverance.”
My mom’s transformation and Mary Baker Eddy’s ideas have guided my own life. The lives of these two women are examples to me of achievement against great odds, and instill in me a conviction that anything is possible.
So it’s time for me to say “thank you” to my mother and to Mary Baker Eddy for life lessons that have left indelible marks on me and many others.
Oct 13, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
I love to pray sitting by the seashore. I have sat for hours enraptured by the vastness and infinity of the broad view. It’s something about the wideness of the sea and the constancy of the rolling waves that makes my soul sigh in contentment and quiets my mind in peaceful reflection.
I’ve often thought, “How can I take this peaceful feeling home with me? How can I go back home and find freedom from the stress of life’s chores and responsibilities?”
I’ve learned to take Christ Jesus’ words, “Enter into thy closet,” to heart.
In giving helpful instruction on how to pray, Jesus said, “When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
With each breath I take, I feel wrapped in God’s love.
The seashore is a bit like my “closet.” I shut my eyes, not thinking about any troubles, fears or concerns. With each breath I take, I feel wrapped in God’s love. I hear the thunderous roar of waves crashing, and at the same time I feel the order and rhythmic peaceful pattern of the waves rolling in.
- This reminds me of a stanza from a poem written by Mary Baker Eddy:
And o’er earth’s troubled, angry sea
I see Christ walk
And come to me, and tenderly
Divinely talk
I feel as if Christ Jesus has spoken to me and proclaimed peace. It’s as if a thought whispers to me, You are safe. You are not alone. You are whole. All is well. And when I open my eyes the problem, fear or concern that had been troubling me now seems very small, like a single grain of sand under my feet. There is clarity and there is calm.
But over the years, I’ve found the healing power of this prayer doesn’t require sitting by the sea. I can follow Christ Jesus’ prayer instructions wherever I am. And I have—whether I am working at my desk, sitting in a hospital waiting area, standing in line at the grocery store, or stuck in my car in a traffic jam. I enter into my closet, that quiet realm in thought where I know God’s presence and love is with me and is as constant as the rolling waves and as infinite as the inexhaustible waters of the sea. I talk with God and hear the healing words I need in that moment. Again and again, there is clarity, there is calm, there is peace.
I found I had the ideas I needed.
Sometimes I have hours to spend in my prayer closet. Other times I have only moments. I recall one time sitting at my desk working on an assignment deadline, feeling pressured and rattled about the deadline. In fact, the project slowed to a standstill the more I looked at the clock. I didn’t have hours, but I took a moment to enter into my prayer closet at that moment of frustration. The pressure completely disappeared and was replaced with calm inspiration. I found I had the ideas I needed to complete the project on schedule. These heartfelt, often momentary prayers are fail-proof.
Following Christ Jesus’ insightful prayer guidelines puts my troubles on pause. I’m reminded that Love, the Love that is God, is always with me—and not just by the seashore. With a calm thought, I’m able to find my peace again.
Oct 13, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
My world was about to change. It was September 2001 and my only child was heading off to college. I had been anticipating this moment for the past year. Well, actually, I had been dreading it.
You have to understand. Jennifer is much more than my daughter. She is my shopping companion, my movie buddy, my confidant. She is my best friend.
I was teaching school before Jennifer was born. Then, I stopped teaching to be an at-home mom. When she started school, I went back to teaching at my daughter’s elementary school. In fact, I was her kindergarten teacher.
In Jennifer’s fifth-grade year we started home schooling and continued through high school. It was a good fit for our cattle-ranching lifestyle in Texas. And she and I loved learning together. Besides, it left us plenty of time to travel as a family, something I couldn’t even imagine doing without our daughter.
The time had finally arrived for me to let her go.
To be honest we had never been apart. Even when she went to summer camp, I went with her and volunteered.
But the day had come for her to begin her own life journey away at college. It was inevitable and I had to face it. The time had finally arrived for me to let her go—without going with her.
How can I describe those first days and weeks without her at home? Sleepless. Anxious. Worried. Fearful. Uneasy. Almost unbearable.
There wasn’t anything anyone said to me that helped, including my husband, who tried to comfort me but couldn’t. Yes, I knew what was right and normal for my child. I knew she couldn’t live at home forever. I didn’t want that for her. And yes, I knew it was normal to miss her. I admit I talked with her every day on the telephone. But nothing could stop how frantic I was. My imagination worked overtime, especially at night when trying to sleep. The anxieties I was feeling from being separated from her were creating a picture of a vulnerable young girl who was susceptible to chance, accident or even violence.
Jennifer was adjusting very well to college.
In the meantime, Jennifer was adjusting very well to college. She enjoyed her classes and made good grades. She was used to managing her time, studying on her own, had fast reading speed with good comprehension and she was a great writer. She had a nice boyfriend whom we liked. And she had become active in a student organization. In fact, it was her activity in this organization that brought my anxieties and fears to a head. She was soon to fly on a commercial airliner to Washington DC, and it was only 6 months after 9/11.
I had the habit of turning to spiritual ideas to help me solve problems. And honestly, I had begun praying and searching for peace of mind before her travel news. I had found my search for peace required moment-to-moment, thought-by-thought prayer in order to genuinely feel God’s presence.
For me, prayer begins with being still and listening. I like to continue by acknowledging the good about God and His children. In my study of Science and HealthI’ve discovered a God who is ever-present Love, constantly available and very comforting.
God is the perfect 24/7 Parent.
I began to see that God is the perfect 24/7 Parent, never off-duty—for me and for Jennifer. I also realized that everyone has a unique relationship with God, and their own purpose to fulfill.
And I wasn’t needed to provide this link for my daughter.
The idea that both Jennifer and I are on life journeys and that God has a purpose for us throughout our lives has been the ultimate freedom maker. When I finally accepted, believed and trusted this idea with all my heart, I became committed to not allowing any thought, fear or opinion interfere with God’s revelation for both of us.
The fruits of my prayer have been life changing.
Yes, Jennifer had a safe and fun trip to Washington DC. Her college years have been joyous and productive. She has completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in three years, and will graduate this summer, 2004. The nice boyfriend recently became our son-in-law, whom we love very much. She and I still talk every day and I look forward to hearing what’s new and wonderful on her life journey.
“I never felt guilty going away to college.”
And what about me? I can honestly say that fear and anxiety no longer rule my days and nights. My husband and I have been having great fun with evenings and weekends that are “just us.” We’ve enjoyed trips alone and have had wonderful excursions with friends. And there have been opportunities for travels that have included our daughter and son-in-law. I’m involved in community organizations and have also started a new career focus. My husband and I have started remodeling our house. And we’ve added a new member to our family—a miniature dachshund.
I recently had a conversation with Jennifer reflecting on her college years. In telling her about my experience in those first few months, I was delighted to learn she never suspected my struggle. She told me, “I never felt guilty going away to college. I never felt you were scared for me. I knew you were always going to support me. I never felt susceptible to risk or dangers. I never had any situations that made me afraid. I always felt safe.”
Yes, my world did change. But I’ve learned I don’t have to be afraid of change. Change is progress. Change means growth. Change provides expansive views. It’s kind of like the change from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Certainly, the life experience is different. But what a difference in the view!
Oct 13, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
I’m almost 50. Half a century. For 21 years of my life, I focused on raising my only child. Then she graduated from college, married and moved to another state. Some people experience mid-life crises at this stage of life—I know I started thinking things I’d never thought about before.
I began to wonder how much time I had left to spend with my own mother. I began to think about the death of loved ones and even my own demise. I thought about all the dreams I let fade away.
Then I heard a song that got me thinking in a new way.
Live “like tomorrow was a gift”.
If you’re a country music fan like I am, you’ve no doubt heard Tim McGraw’s hit song, “Live like you were dying.” The song encourages listeners to live “like tomorrow was a gift” and make the most out of the present.
The song asks, “You got eternity to think about what you do with it—What should you do with it?”
This question really caught my attention. So as the song mentions, I “read the Good Book”—yes, the Bible. And other good books too, as I began to ponder the idea of eternity and life.
In reading the weekly Bible Lesson one morning, some statements from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures reminded me of Tim’s song. I read, “Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof. Life and goodness are immortal. Let us then shape our views of existence into loveliness, freshness, and continuity, rather than into age and blight.”
What would I do with eternity?
I thought again about the question in the song. What would I do with eternity? And I found myself responding, “live like Life’s eternal.”
I started to think about that. How would it change my days, to live knowing Life is eternal?
Considering this idea is transforming my experience day by day. I’m starting to understand what Eddy meant about shaping our views of existence by a life that is eternal, by a life that affirms God as Life itself.
I feel I’ve found my answer. Pondering eternity is wiping out my fears, erasing limitations and bringing more joy and peace to each moment.
I’m a much better listener these days.
I’m not letting the clock and calendar be my focus anymore. I’m making the most of moments with loved ones, and moments by myself. I’m a much better listener these days when friends and family call—and it seems as though I get more calls than I used to.
And you know what? As the songs says, I have gone Rocky Mountain climbing, and fishing, too. My husband and I have taken trips on the spur of the moment. I’ve been spending more time with my mother—going to movies together, swimming or just hanging out.
I have new hobbies. I feel I’m at a beginning that never ends. And the possibilities are infinite for what I might do next. (Perhaps bull riding? Well, maybe not.)
There is no “middle” to eternity. Yep, I’m singing a new song now: “Live like Life’s eternal.” And that’s exactly how it feels.
