Oct 24, 2007 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2007. All rights reserved.
Mistaken impressions, rash judgments, believing the worst — we’ve all been there. Maybe we’ve had an impression of someone or something based on a stereotype, prejudice or presumption.
The old adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” is good advice. This means before we can judge, we need to take a deeper, closer look. This means that value and potential are not always obvious from what we see on the surface.
I learned such a lesson in the course of remodeling our house. We replaced several pieces of furniture that were pretty much worn out. I had planned for our dining table to be one of these items. But my husband wanted to refinish the table surface and have the chairs reupholstered. As I said, this was not my plan, but I compromised.
He worked hard and diligently on the table, and when he had completed his work, my first impression was not good. In fact, my initial reaction was honest, “I hate it.” But I resolved that I was stuck with it — at least for a while.
Then something unexpected and interesting happened. Various friends and family members saw our refinished dining table, and they all loved it. I couldn’t believe it! Not one saw my point of view. Eventually, I began to wonder if I had unfairly judged. As I began to give the table another look, my opinion shifted from dislike to love. Yes, I reached a point where I truly loved the refinished results.
How could this have happened? Had the table’s appearance changed? Hardly! So, what was different?
I can now see how my disappointment in not purchasing a new dining table created the unconscious presumption that I would NOT like the refinished table. I didn’t want to like it. My mind had been made up before the refinishing even began. I had been fooled by the view.
Our impressions influence our judgments. What if our impression of the human scene is a difficult and frightening picture of a loved one in a hospital bed? We can become convinced that the evidence before our eyes tells the true, whole story and believe the worst.
I’m remembering several years ago when my step-dad was in the hospital. He was in a medically induced coma for several weeks. It was alarming and disheartening to see him this way. At times we thought he was dead and was just being kept alive by the various machines he was hooked up to. And indeed, his physicians were concerned and uncertain of his recovery.
One of our prayers became not to be fooled by the view. Before entering his room, we would fill our thoughts with what God, who is Spirit, sees — his beloved son, spiritual, perfect, whole, full of vitality and strength.
Weeks later, after much progress, the induced coma was discontinued and he awoke with a smile and as his good-humored, natural self. More progress would be needed, but he did achieve an ultimate recovery. And the one-time view of near death was indeed proven false.
I’ve thought about this experience many times when faced with illness myself. I protest the view of me that includes a picture of disease and its symptoms, pain and so forth. I turn my thought to what I’m certain God’s view is of me as His child, created in His image and likeness. I’ve found reassurance, expectation and healing from this approach.
I’ve learned that anything that would rob me of my hope must be warded off. I must not allow any view to tempt me into believing that the human picture of problems and struggles is the end of the story.
And I’ve learned that a good beginning is to not be fooled by the view.
Oct 24, 2007 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2007. All rights reserved.
None of us want to waste the precious times of our life. But I suspect we’ve probably all been guilty of doing just that. Oh, how much time I’ve wasted being mad, unhappy, depressed, frustrated, indecisive, complaining, feeling discouraged, overwhelmed!
So, how do we combat these enemies to our joy, peace, progress and success?
I’ve never forgotten an idea a friend shared with me several years ago. The phrase came from a book about Jesus and management — I never knew the title. But the phrase was, “Jesus didn’t allow any energy leaks.”
Nothing could deter him, distract him or stop him from doing his work. He had a clear sense of his mission and his purpose. He was steadfast and centered. But he wasn’t willful or headstrong. Since his work involved obediently following God’s direction, he had to remain ever prayerful and listening for His next instructions.
He maintained his spiritual energy, never allowing any “leaks” that would pull his thought and attention away from his focus. This kept him in a state of readiness, flexibility, openness and willingness.
My friend offered this idea about Jesus, trying to help me get through what seemed like a day of impossible roadblocks at work. It was a day of time constraints, confusion, unclear communication, and backtracking. Ever experience a day like that?
I was just about ready to write the day off as hopeless. At the peak of my frustration, this idea of Jesus not allowing any energy leaks was compelling. I felt like I was running on low fuel, so the thought of being able to stop energy leaks was very desirable.
I considered how the master of the Master Way remained calm and focused on his work when confronted by multitudes with many different needs. Or how he was able to express dominion and confident resolve while doing his work even in the midst of angry and jealous peers.
Deciding perhaps it was possible for me to take the example of Christ Jesus as my problem-solving model, I began a new approach with each calamity that presented itself. This required a response-change on my part — to remain calm regardless of the circumstance. And it worked! With the calming of any would-be anxieties, stress or pressure, came peace, freshness, and new views — spiritual energy. I felt refueled to tackle anything.
With additional challenges — and there were more — solutions came quickly. I resolved to maintain my spiritual poise and not allow any “energy leaks.” What a day! Instead of a day of everything going wrong, much was accomplished and deadlines were reached.
I’ve often thought about the lessons learned that day.
There are many enemies to our joy and peace — sickness, pain, worries, and a myriad of fears. But my spiritual energy lesson has taught me that a calm and spiritually poised response leads to healing and progress. As I’ve been successful at not allowing any energy leaks, I’ve found myself prepared and equipped to handle whatever comes my way.
Oct 13, 2007 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2007. All rights reserved.
Surveys have stated that millions of Americans pray regularly. And millions believe prayer can have a healing effect.
University medical school studies continue to test the medicinal power of prayer on recovery from illness or injury. And the findings remain varied and inconclusive. Consequently, newspaper headlines also tell an inconsistent story: “Prayer no help to sick” . . . “Prayer works as a cure” . . . “Prayer’s effect on health called nil” . . . “Healing power of prayer revealed”.
I suspect that no university study examining the influence of prayer on health would be considered definitive, even in the academic community. Therefore, the underlying question for me is why should scientists and physicians continue to test prayer?
Perhaps Christ Jesus knew the answer to such a question when he said, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” Maybe the creators of these studies are unconsciously looking for “signs and wonders.” The very fact that such studies are happening cannot help but admit to the possibility of “wonders”, even if the motivation of some of them at the outset was to dispute such claims.
It’s not unusual to doubt or question when one hears of healings reported as a result of prayer. Even one of Christ Jesus’ closest disciples – Thomas – doubted that his Master could have been resurrected from death. But didn’t Thomas want to believe?
So one might describe studies exploring and probing the effects of prayer as symbolically crying out like the father of a sick son who cried out to Jesus, “Lord I believe; Help thou mine unbelief.”
I understand this hope-filled cry. My heart has sung that tune many times. Time and again I’ve caught glimpses of the omnipotence and allness of God and my inseparable relationship to God as His beloved daughter. I would be among the 41% of Americans who said they had been cured of illness or had their conditions significantly improve as a result of prayer. (Yankelovich Partners Survey 1999) Even still, moments of doubt, uncertainty and fear have brought me to my knees to reckon with my unbelief.
I can’t imagine a formula for testing prayer that can be effectively implemented, analyzed, measured or evaluated. Surely, prayer is as uniquely spiritual and individual as the individual doing the praying. Lack of healing results in a medical study on prayer would never cause the faith-filled to stop praying.
We read in the Gospel according to St. Matthew of a lunacy case the disciples were unable to heal. Jesus responded, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.” Jesus healed him. But his disciples asked why they could not heal him to which Jesus answered, “Because of your unbelief….”
Christ Jesus instructed, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” In her writings on prayer in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “The Hebrew verb to believe means also to be firm or to be constant.” She explains the Biblical injunction, “Believe…and thou shalt be saved!” as demanding “self-reliant trustworthiness, which includes spiritual understanding and confides all to God.”
So why do I pray?
Because I believe Christ Jesus’ words are a promise. A promise for all people in all times. And surely for all conditions and situations. I mean Jesus did say “And all things.” I’m praying to understand more fully what this means.
Oct 17, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
Ants, fire ants in particular, are no friend to farmers and ranchers. My husband would most certainly concur! Each year he faces what feels like a losing battle trying to smooth our pastures due to the ever-increasing number of ant mounds. So somehow it feels a bit like an oxymoron to suggest that ants, one of the smallest and most annoying of God’s creatures, know very well the key to being successful. Perhaps this, too, is why they seem impossible to get rid of!
Consider this lesson about the ant that we read of in the Bible: “You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?” (Proverbs 6:6-9, The Message Bible)
Maybe you desire to be more productive in your work. Or perhaps you’re a new graduate poised to begin your career? Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, bored or afraid to take the necessary steps?
Many times in my life I’ve struggled with a lack of motivation to complete a project. Sometimes I’ve lacked the motivation to begin a long-needed project! Then there are other times when I have felt so overwhelmed and stretched by the demands upon me, that I reached what felt like my limit of endurance and my breaking point. Believe it or not, pondering the life and works of “the ant” has given me fresh inspiration time and again and has helped me overcome difficult times in my life.
Ants seem to know their purpose in life very well and appear to keep it in the forefront of their thought as they keep moving. They don’t allow anything to interfere with their progress. Obstacles in their path do not stop them. They refuse to give up. Clearly, they are examples of courage, expectancy and determination.
Once a task is complete, they go immediately to the next job at hand. Ants appear to approach each undertaking with zest, energy, enthusiasm. Persistence may be their greatest characteristic. I suspect ants would never consider defeat. They face unexpected tasks with confidence and resolve. I have no doubt they will not stop until their goal is reached.
Ants don’t work or live alone. They understand the concept of teamwork. They seem to believe that their own success requires others around them to be successful, too. Therefore, any ant is ever ready to help a fellow ant to progress. They are always ready to lend aid and offer support as needed.
They seem to be able to carry objects that weigh enough to crush them, and yet they appear to carry their heavy loads effortlessly. Perhaps the old adage about the joy in your steps making everything lighter is something the ant puts into practice.
Mary Baker Eddy was not speaking about ants, but her words in an article titled “Fidelity” seem quite fitting: “The conscientious are successful. They follow faithfully; through evil or through good report, they work on to the achievement of good; by patience, they inherit the promise. Be active, and however slow, thy success is sure: toil is triumph; and — thou hast been faithful over a few things.”
This reminds me of the parable Christ Jesus told about three servants and the talents given them. Two servants did well and increased their talents, but one allowed his fears to persuade him to hide his talent. It was only the two servants who were conscientious with what was given them that earned the tribute: “Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things. … ” (Matthew 24:23)
I’ve concluded that it’s emulating the many qualities that an ant exemplifies — such as diligence, patience, perseverance and persistence — that helps me climb over those pesky hills called boredom, fear or frustration, and prove that conscientious effort results in success. Perhaps you, too, can find inspiration and encouragement for your endeavors from the life of the ant!
Oct 17, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
How could he say that? Why is she being that way? What were they thinking? When is he going to change? Who does she think she is? Whether these or similar sentiments were voiced about a coworker, political leader, family member or neighbor, I suspect all of us have been guilty of being intolerant of the actions, behavior or viewpoints of others.
Intolerance can take many forms. But it begins as a disapproving attitude. It grows into an inability or unwillingness to recognize and respect differences in opinions and beliefs. On a more extreme level, intolerance can lead to violence and in its most severe form — genocide.
As my husband says, “Intolerance (lack of love) causes all the ills of mankind.” And he says that often those who are intolerant seem totally blind to their intolerance.
Moving into the political season with the race toward the White House in 2008, I find myself dreading the possibility that political campaigns and family dinner conversations will be monopolized by intolerance.
My problem is that I’m intolerant of people who are intolerant.
It would seem that there is no peaceful and harmonious solution for combating the intolerance we see in others and find in ourselves. In taking my own dilemma to God in prayer recently, eight words spoken by Christ Jesus have inspired my thought: “… what is that to thee? Follow thou me.” (John 21:22) I’ve been pondering how this question and command can aid me in confronting intolerance in a couple of my own life battles.
A friend who professed to be a Christian hurt my feelings, treating me rudely and with contempt regarding a difference of opinion. I left the encounter in tears. But the memory of it kept me disturbed and sad for months. Those words of Christ Jesus came to mind as an answer to my prayer. It has become very clear that I can’t follow Christ Jesus’ teachings and example and harbor ill feelings toward anyone. So, with my spirit refreshed, I’m moving forward, free from sadness, regret and condemnation.
Some family members consider themselves associated with one political party and are quite intolerant of anyone associated with the other party. It is impossible for them to show respect toward the president, whoever he or she may be, if the president is not of their party persuasion. As I’ve written before, my daughter calls me an “extreme non-partisan,” and she’s right. Consequently, my intolerance is extreme toward people who express political intolerance. Even when I manage to “hold my tongue,” my emotions take hours to calm down. Then, it’s tempting to want to avoid being around these dear loved ones, or anyone else for that matter, if I think politics is on their minds. But again, these words of Christ Jesus are helping me stay focused on our higher calling and spiritual duty that is not dependent on or impacted by the behavior of others. I may have to silently recite those words of the Master during future family dinners to remind myself to follow the teachings of Christ, even when faced with disturbing or hostile viewpoints.
I decided that in order to help fight my own internal struggle against intolerance, I needed a refresher course on what it means to follow Christ. And it came to me that perhaps his greatest of all sermons is where I need to look — often called the “Sermon on the Mount.” Who could have known centuries upon centuries ago, that on a gentle slope of land rising above the Sea of Galilee, an incredibly calm, deeply inspired man would walk to the edge of the hill and set forth the code of conduct, which if followed, would assure peace and happiness for humanity for all time?
The Sermon begins with what are now often referred to as the “Beatitudes.” Jesus continues with explanations of law and religious practices, pointing out the spirit of each law and practice, which goes well beyond the letter. And he concludes with three final portrayals, offering the wisest of counsel on human behavior. (Matthew, Chapters 5 – 7)
Oh, what wisdom is to be found in the Sermon on the Mount! But be prepared, my friend, to examine your own heart and be transformed. Find the peace and joy within that nothing can take away. Learn to hold no grudges and harbor no anger. Discover what it means to walk the extra mile and walk it in love. Perceive a universal, all-pervasive love. Humble yourself to be teachable, and you will be taught how to see and conquer intolerance in your own heart — the first step toward conquering intolerance in the world around you.
