Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
I had an excruciating night filled with one bad dream after another. It seemed my every fear, doubt and uncertainty was coming true in my dreams. The images seemed so real, so feasible and so possible that I woke up almost believing they had really happened. I felt exhausted, sad and even angry. But nothing had really happened.As I sit here in the morning light, it seems amazing to me that such unreal images could produce very real feelings and emotions.
I recall reading an illustration in Mary Baker Eddy’s book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She refers to a “blundering dispatch” which arrives with the news a friend has died. But it turns out this news is a mistake that is corrected shortly in another dispatch. She suggests that the incorrect dispatch would cause the same grief you would feel if your friend had truly passed on — showing how anguish can be the result of your belief and not fact. So I thought to myself, “My bad dream was only a blundering dispatch!”
I can’t help but also be reminded of many times when Jesus received what he may have thought of as “blundering dispatches.” One example was when Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his sick daughter. But on their way there, a messenger arrived saying it was too late — that she had died. This information didn’t deter Jesus, however. He said, “Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” Even when they arrived at the ruler’s house and all around were grieving, Jesus said “Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.” (Luke 8:41,42,49-56) And he raised the little girl from death much to everyone’s doubts and amazement.
Nothing kept Jesus from knowing and proving the power of God — the laws of God that govern His children. Not bad news, lack of time, opinions, fears or even physical evidence could keep Jesus from believing what God knows and proclaims about His creation. And he proved this divine knowledge to be the transforming truth in every situation he confronted.
Perhaps you feel like you are living a bad dream right now. The evidence surrounding you is no illusion — whether your house has been destroyed in a tornado or your marriage has ended in divorce or you have no money to pay your mortgage payment. In such life situations, you may wish you were only dreaming!
There have been many times in my life when I felt this way. There were semesters in college when I didn’t have enough money for the tuition, and I had no idea how I would come up with what was needed. There have been relationships that ended badly, and I felt like I would never meet my soul mate. After a miscarriage, I was afraid I would never get pregnant again. When our only child left for college, I struggled with unbearable feelings of loneliness, depression and uncertainty. Living on a Texas ranch, we’ve experienced both droughts and excessive rains that dramatically impacted our income.
It has been through looking closely at Jesus’ healings that I’ve been learning how to lift myself out of bad and difficult life experiences. I’ve discovered that the first and most important step out of turmoil is a shift in my outlook and frame of reference from the problem to divine promise.
Jesus certainly seemed undaunted by human testimony and appearances. He held firm to what God knows, sees, wants and expects for His creation. And this point of view and conviction — this spiritual knowledge — was clearly healing, illuminating and more powerful than any opinion or evidence to the contrary.
We can all turn to the divine perspective that provides an expansive, fresh view. A view that reassures and promises that there will be a new day, a solution, redemption, forgiveness, new opportunities and possibilities, peace of mind, progress, and accomplishment. There is no time frame to limit or restrict divine direction and development — so it’s never too late. Nothing is impossible. And I can only imagine that what God knows and expects for my life and yours is better and grander than anything we can foresee.
In my own life, my goal of a college degree was achieved, I met my husband of 27 years, I had a beautiful baby girl, I’ve discovered satisfying interests and passions I’ve only begun to explore, and no matter the amount of money, our needs have always been met.
While I would never want anyone to experience or live a bad dream, if we are faced with such, we can prove them to be only a “blundering dispatch” and not what God wants for His creation. And we can find and experience what God expects by looking to and listening for His guidance that will always lead us higher than where we are — to more desirable and infinite possibilities.
Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
If you have a computer and email address, you will know what I’m talking about. We all get them. Those forwarded emails of jokes, poetry, photos, inspirational stories. Sometimes we get so many we don’t take the time to read all of them.
The subject line for this one simply read: Daffodils. Spring being in the air, I decided to read it.
The story began with a daughter urging her mother to come for a visit to see the daffodils while they were blooming. The mother wasn’t very excited about this idea and kept putting off the two-hour drive. A few days later she made the trip, although she could still care less about seeing daffodils.
After visiting with her daughter and grandchildren, she was ready to head back home. But at her daughter’s insistence, she relented and went to see the site her daughter promised should not be missed.
After going so far by car, the mother and daughter had to make the rest of the journey on foot. So, they walked down a path until much to the mother’s surprise was the most incredible and wondrous view she had ever seen. The mountain peak and its surrounding slopes were covered in spectacular shades of gold. The daffodils had been planted in swirling patterns, and the mother felt as if each shade formed its own unique river flowing over the hills. There were five acres of flowers.
She was in awe and wonder. She asked her daughter, “Who did this?” The daughter pointed to a house in the midst of the sea of daffodils. They walked up to the house and saw a poster on the patio that read:
“Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking.
1. 50,000 bulbs.
2. One at a time, by one woman.
3. Two hands, two feet, and one brain.
4. Began in 1958.”
There are many lessons to be found in this beautiful story, and some were shared in the email I received. You can probably guess that at least one has to do with accomplishing goals — one step at a time. Yes, this generally requires daily effort. And — it’s never too late to begin, so why keep waiting. We can all, like this woman, forever change the world in which we live, right where we are, right now — even if we’re on an obscure mountaintop.
Another lesson that was shared emphasized “learning to love the doing.” I can’t stop pondering this idea. And I realize in my own experience, that this love has sometimes been missing.
When working toward a goal, I’ve usually had the patience and perseverance needed. But I have to admit that I haven’t always loved every step that was needed. In fact, many times my attitude was more of a grit-and-endure or even a grin-and-bear-it one.
I thought about this one woman planting 50,000 bulbs over the course of forty years. It sounds like it could have been an overwhelming undertaking — one that could have caused much dismay or discouragement over the slow progress.
But somehow I think this woman began her task with a vision of her completed goal embedded in her thoughts. And with each bulb she planted, I suspect she was filled with love and joy in anticipation and expectation of what her deeds were accomplishing. She knew each individual bulb was indispensable to her goal, and I can’t help but think she loved giving the care and attention needed to each bulb.
Yes, I think I need to do a better job of “learning to love the doing” on this life journey of mine. And I suspect that if I can do this, I might get a sense of what this one woman felt as she planted each bulb and what she must surely feel now as she sees the masterpiece of her handiwork.
So, if you receive a forwarded email with the subject line of “Daffodils,” do read it! You will be glad you took the time.
Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. ©2008. All rights reserved.
How have I planned my life? Oh, let me count the ways …
I had a plan for where I would go to college, whom I would marry, when I would marry, how many children I would have, when I would have my first child, the second child, and so on. I’ve had a plan for every day of my life. From the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, I have a schedule and a to-do list. And each task on my to-do list has its own detailed plan of action.
But I’m not finished yet.
I make my Christmas gift list months in advance. In fact, I worry about everything months in advance.
Every vacation has had an itinerary and, of course, an extensive list of items to take along.
I’ve even made plans for other people in my life, especially for my husband and daughter. I don’t think I’ve ever made a move in my life without a plan or without probably two back-up plans to boot.
Admittedly, not all my plans have worked out in the exact way I have planned them. But my solace has always been, “Well, at least I had a plan.”
I’m not saying that having goals is bad. Goals certainly have their usefulness. But I’ve been wondering recently if I could have used more meandering in my days gone by. Or, at least, perhaps I could have set up fewer boundaries or directives for the possibilities of my life. I’ve concluded that my vision for my life has had way too many limits as well as blinders.
Part of my problem with being a planner is illustrated by how devastated I have been when a plan has fallen short, when I’ve been unable to handle the unknown, or when I haven’t been flexible enough to grasp a plan that wasn’t my own.
But, no more!
I’ve begun to see that God has a plan for our lives that has an infinite design. And within infinitude, there can be no limits, no boundaries, no restrictions, no inadequacies, and even no defined specifics. That’s right.
I no longer feel that God has one specific plan for my life. I just don’t believe God thinks in terms of human details. Why would He? Or could He? God’s view of His creation could only reflect His own nature. And there are no limits or lack in the infinite Divine. So, there surely can’t be any with what the Divine creates.
What does this mean for me now?
I’m not saying I’m ready to be a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of girl. But there is some appeal to that idea. I want to be more open-minded about my future and what choices I make. In fact, I want to have days when I have no list whatsoever in front of me. I want to go on a trip and have no idea what I’m going to do on any given day. Actually, I would love to take a trip and have no map, no compass, no headings and no familiar landmarks. Just head out and go where the wind blows, as they say.
You really don’t know how radical these thoughts are, coming from a long-time planner like me. My family may get worried to see this change in me. I’ve just come to believe that perhaps the greatest plan is a plan that anticipates and looks forward to surprises.
I suspect that surprise may be one of the most special outcomes of maintaining an infinite point of view — one that is always ready for any possibility and ready to seize unexpected moments and opportunities. I can only imagine how happy such a life would be, to be surprised each morning at the beautiful sunrise — whether a cloudy or sunny day. I’m trying to imagine being delightfully surprised with each phone call I receive — no matter how many times my phone rings each day. Or being gracefully surprised by each and every event in my life — not being daunted, overwhelmed or exasperated when every detail doesn’t pan out the way I had envisioned.
I look forward to no longer being such a compulsive planner and to being more spontaneous and open for all the infinite possibilities in every aspect of my life and each moment of my life.
So, my friends, if you’re going to plan, be sure you plan to be surprised. That’s my new plan!
Oct 28, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
The viewpoint that human beings and civilization are ever improving and advancing toward a higher and better goal is a very old one. The search itself tells the story — whether it was what brought the Puritans to the American colonies or what sent the covered wagons across the prairies or what propelled man to land on the moon.
The U.S. Constitution speaks of the “pursuit” of happiness. It is this pursuit — this search or quest for something better, higher, more meaningful, more substantial — that illustrates the life practice of progress.
Many people argue and debate about what constitutes progress, and consequently, many times the authenticity or validity of progress is doubted and questioned. This has never made much sense to me, since I believe that existence must always be advancing, proceeding and unfolding because progress is the law of God, the law of infinity.
Steps forward can certainly be of different sizes, whether baby steps or giant leaps. Advancement is actually possible, even when you’re not on your feet. Crawling is progress. Any improvement is a good thing and should be recognized, valued and appreciated. Perhaps we can best define progress in the words of Walt Whitman: “always becoming.” Progress, then, would never be a single fixed point and would never reach an end.
So we are always becoming the people we are capable of being — the people we are divinely created to be, whom God knows, loves and cares for right now and forever.
Recently I came across the slogan of the General Electric Co. in the 1950s and 1960s. And it seems that it was Ronald Reagan who announced this slogan each week on television in the name of General Electric: “Progress is our most important product.”
If this is so, we don’t need to measure progress by what we’ve accomplished, achieved or built and invented. We ascertain our progress by the direction in which we are walking, the practice of our ideals, and our understanding of who we are.
Jesus taught his disciples a lesson in social progress when apparently James and John were angry at how some people were acting. The disciples asked Jesus if he wanted them to “tell fire to come down from heaven and consume” these people. Jesus said, “Of course not!!!” Then he further cautioned them, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of” (Luke 9:51-55).
We must always be about the business of becoming who we are, as God created us to be. We’re not responsible for the actions of others. But we are always accountable for our own actions, our own thoughts and viewpoints.
Perhaps we can better understand who we are by better understanding our Creator. God is Love. If Love created us, then we must be loving, forgiving, compassionate. If we are not living who we are, then maybe that is because we’re not understanding who we are. The good news is we will continue to progress in that understanding and become better at acting like the child of God that we are. Thank goodness, progress is the law of God!
Indeed, there are many would-be foes of progress: idleness, conceit, envy, revenge, and the many self-isms such as self-will, self-righteousness and self-ignorance, to name a few. Misguided opinions of what brings happiness and satisfaction are also detrimental to progress.
This is a lesson I’ve had to learn and learn again throughout my life. Whether I was making a rash judgment, jumping to a wrong conclusion, worrying about what-ifs or stressing out about lack of time, I’ve had to be willing to reassess and alter my perceptions.
As we continue on our journey of self-awakening, we’ll become more alert to these enemies and will allow nothing to impede or hinder our progress.
We are a world of seekers. While our pathways traveled are unique and many, progress is the law that is impelling each of our steps. Human history has been one of progress, sometimes accelerating and sometimes slow moving. But the wheels of progress will keep moving us all forward, as they must, ever so steadily.
May we always celebrate any and all progress in our lives and in the lives of others. After all, progress is what matters most.
Oct 27, 2008 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2008. All rights reserved.
Recently I was compelled to read again Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” address. I’ve been pondering Dr. King’s words ” … even though we face the difficulties of today or tomorrow, I still have a dream.” And I found myself asking, “Do I still have a dream?”In the days of my youth, dreaming was so very easy. Where would I travel? Whom would I marry? Would I have children? What would I accomplish in my life? The future seemed bright and boundless — an adventure I could hardly wait to begin and one I never imagined ending.
Now that I’ve arrived at what many call midlife, I’m finding it difficult to dream and envision the course for the rest of my life. I graduated from college. Met the man of my dreams. Raised our daughter. Experienced the family I had longed for. And I’ve learned some lessons along the way — lessons that I’ve been sharing with you for a few years now.
Then a verse in Proverbs caught my attention. I think perhaps it’s warning us about the loss of dreams, purpose and goals when the author wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people perish. … ” (Proverbs 29:18)
I’m not sure why I’ve been ambivalent or uncertain about my continued purpose. The objective of our lifework surely never reaches a conclusion at some particular age. It would seem as long as we live, there is a good fight to be fought — lessons to learn, things to accomplish and experience. It seems to me that the very essence of life includes motive, purpose and pursuit.
Just this week I’ve realized that maybe part of my problem is thinking that the source of my dreams and vision is up to me to muster up and create. This is not so, according to many a biblical writer. Paul says each of us is called with a divine purpose (2 Timothy 1:9). It’s so comforting to know that if I’m in a quandary about what’s next for my life, I can look to God to guide me. I know He always has a purpose for each of us and a vision of how we are to reach that purpose. The Eternal knows nothing of age. To the Divine, we are timeless with endless capacity, ability and holy purpose.
I feel assured that even though I may feel stuck right now, my prayerful inquiry will result in spiritual vision that will lift me out of the muck and mire and into the higher realms of human potential and possibility. I’ve been taught that spiritual vision can unself mortal purpose and give us nobler aims and ambitions. And it points us up the path that gives steadiness to revolve and brings success to our endeavor — our goals and dreams. All good reasons for seeking divine guidance.
Dr. King seemed to understand something about the freedom to have a dream, to follow a dream and achieve it. He said to “always march ahead” and spoke of “soul force” being needed to conquer anything that would try to slow or stop our forward steps.
I’m beginning to see that soul force is born from the desire to do the divine will. This force of strength and inspiration acknowledges and affirms that the divine will for our life is good, unending and filled with purpose and progress.
But the freedom to see new dreams and follow those dreams is hampered when one feels bitter about goals never reached or when one is depressed that it is too late or despondent about what to do next.
Certainly we reach crossroads at various times in life. But just because we reach one crossroad, does this mean there is not another road to travel? Hardly!
My daughter recently reminded me about the great-grandmother who gained fame for being the oldest college graduate ever at age 95. In 2007, she received her degree from Fort Hays State University in Kansas — along with her granddaughter, in fact. But that degree was not the end of her dreams. When asked by reporters, she said after college she was planning to get a job on a cruise ship. This dear lady seems to give no thought or worry to the so-called twilight of days!
Her example shows that we, too, must keep on keeping on with our lives — never losing our wonder, desire or expectation. There’s no reason to lose anticipation for life with its many adventures, lessons and rewards. But there are infinite reasons to live our God-endowed life to the fullest. And we find these reasons as our vision is inspired, maintained and directed by our loving Father.
So, we can keep marching ahead, not allowing any fear, opinion, prediction or theory — nor pain or illness – to stop us from achieving our life purpose. And you and I will proclaim, in the words of Dr. King, “I have a dream today.” And then, we will live our dreams.
