Rhythms of Growth. Linda Douty
planned, when the inevitable happens—an unexpected interruption upends your tight schedule. A sick child needs to be picked up at school, a snowstorm approaches, an accidental bump shatters cabinet glass, a friend needs to talk. An old adage states that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she handles three things: stalled traffic, a rainy day, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I would add a ringing telephone.
Interruptions dot life’s landscape. We can approach them as land mines or oases, as reasons to explode or to take a breather. An intrusion tests our ability to shift gears, to be flexible in order to accommodate someone’s needs. Above all, it invites our presence in the moment rather than wishing to be elsewhere.
Part of our growth in the Spirit comes in recognizing how small our world can become—that is, we all tend to interpret everything in terms of how it affects us. Why is the mail carrier so late when I need that letter now? Why didn’t she call someone else to help—I have things to do! Why can’t this line move faster so I can get on with my day?
So the next time the phone rings, take a deep breath and welcome it as fodder for the soul’s growth in patience and flexibility—not to mention grace! Your tense muscles and harried spirit will thank you as they relax.
Reflect: Observe your normal reaction to interruptions. Consider moving from irritation to an invitation to be present and grace-filled.
JANUARY 28 • Inner Assets
In the aftermath of 9/11—that is, before anger, before analysis, before retribution—an automatic human response erupted all around us, regardless of politics or religion. People acted in a similar and instinctive way: They didn’t call their stockbroker; they called home.
People reconnected with old friends in Oregon; they asked forgiveness of someone they had wronged; they mended family fences; they said thank-you; they slowed down; they went to church. And they hugged. They hugged their children, strangers on the street, trees.
In individual ways, we all began to wonder not only what our “big rocks” were (see Jan. 13) but beneath that, what our inner assets were. What would remain if all externals disappeared? Many people found they had undervalued those basic assets. They didn’t know they had them until their own behavior surprised them—when helpful, often heroic deeds instinctively came forth as those inner assets became actions. On the other hand, many overvalued their inner assets, assuming they existed but finding they had atrophied from disuse and benign neglect while they had focused on other matters. In either case, people were struck with the need to invest in assets that really counted, those with long-term yields.
This primal reaction to tragedy revealed a transcendent bottom line that speaks about the nature of our spiritual wiring, the way we’re created as human beings. God built something potentially magnificent into our human DNA. Some might call it a survival instinct. Maybe. But it seems higher on the evolutionary scale than that. We evidence an impulse toward life, beauty, love, and compassion that goes beyond cognitive decisions. It’s not about what we believe but about what we are as God created us.
At a basic level, we seek connection to people, to nature, to God, to community. On 9/11 that yearning for belonging and connection filled us with a patriotic surge. And the connections felt good, real, true . . . evidence of an inner reservoir of valuable assets that help us not only survive but thrive in this complex world of ours—that is, if we nurture those inner sparks of goodness.
Reflect: Ponder the value of your inner assets. What are they? Today intentionally invest some time and energy in strengthening those assets.
JANUARY 29 • Investing in Bonds
If asked the value of our portfolios or how much cash is in our bank account, most of us could spout a number, perhaps even naming our investments. We’re accustomed to attending to that part of our lives, checking on it, celebrating it, or agonizing over it. We give it the time and focus we think it deserves.
The inner asset stuff doesn’t organize well into columns of figures or predictable formulas. But when something rocks our world, what’s inside us helps us cope with questions like these: What does all this mean? What really matters?
Our inner assets involve family, relationships, community, and the divine love that cements those bonds. What keeps us from making regular investments in these lasting assets?
As a young person, I remember the glow I felt when standing in a circle of friends, arm in arm, singing “Blest Be the Tie That Binds.” I felt a sense of belonging, of caring, of common purpose to love God and others. Perhaps we need to recapture the value of those bonds of friendship and mutual encouragement.
A much-repeated sentiment at funerals is, “I wish I had one more chance to tell this person how much they meant to me.” Say it now, tell someone today how much you care. Don’t be stingy with your thankyous and I love yous. You’re investing in valuable bonds of connection with yourself, your Creator, and the world around you.
Reflect: Review the precious bonds that bind you in your life. Make a conscious investment in those bonds through a phone call, a hug, a word of encouragement, or simply a smile.
JANUARY 30 • Investing in Securities
What spells security for us: a gated community, a hefty bank account, an efficient alarm system, good medical coverage? We yearn to feel protected against calamity and harm.
Understandably, we pray that God will keep us safe from all harm, though assurance of that doesn’t mesh with the facts of life. For reasons we can’t comprehend, events take place that are not God’s will, and the world is a dangerous place. We are not puppets on a string, nor are we entitled to divine protection by virtue of Christian belief or our supposed goodness. We all share the divine gift of free will, which fills our world with uncertainty and saps our feelings of security.
But we have sacred foundations to stand on. Years ago teacher and author Flora Wuellner responded wisely to a question about God’s role in times of turmoil. The questioner implied that many mishaps were God’s way of helping us grow, of “teaching us valuable lessons.” Flora disagreed, encouraging us to focus not on causation or protection but on the ongoing presence of the holy—no matter what happens or why.
Wuellner’s explanation went like this: It’s one thing to say that if my child falls down the concrete stairs and breaks his leg, I as a good parent will do everything in my power to bring good out of that experience. I’ll help him heal, teach him that he shouldn’t have left his Rollerblades™ at the top of the stairs, encourage him to learn life lessons through the experience of pain and recovery. However, it’s quite another thing to say that as a good parent, I would push that child down the stairs so that he could learn those valuable lessons!
We rest secure in the words of Romans 8:28: “All things work together for good for those who love God.” No matter how the circumstances came about—through our mistakes or someone else’s or a random event—God will help us pick up the pieces of whatever has shattered and fashion them into something new.
The security this world offers is an illusion because it is all subject to loss. God offers the security and promise of eternal presence.
Reflect: What makes you feel secure? Spend time today investing in a deeper connection with God, who will always support you.
JANUARY 31 • Investing in Trust
W hen a friend and I explored the meaning of trust recently, she confided, “Sometimes we think things to death. I try not to stick my head in the sand. I know there’s meanness in the world, but I also see unexpected explosions of grace all around me!” The reality of trusting in God puts us in league with Albert Einstein, who is credited with saying, “The most important question a person can ask is, ‘Is the universe a friendly place’?” Do we trust that a mysterious benevolence lies at the heart of life? Does Somebody up there like us?
We know plenty of reasons to answer no to those loaded questions. People’s inhumanity to others is well-documented. But wisdom through the ages comes down on the side of yes. To answer yes changes the way we view life and the way we live it. Something harmonious happens when