Submitted by rrrrrricky on February 3, 2006 - 3:48pm.

                                                                         February 3, 2006

      Hello everyone,

     I am grateful for a lot of stuff. I am grateful for a job I like, a loving partner, a spiritual fellowship that is growing around me, my cats, the stuff that makes up our daily lives.

     Sometimes my gratitude is tested, like when someone cuts me off in traffic, or is being a poor sport at Scrabble, or seems to have chosen me to receive the dregs of the bad day that they're having. 

     I have learned, (through a little trial and error) that in that moment I must take a breath, step back, and remind myself that this disturbance too shall pass, and that it's not my job to make this person feel any worse by responding negatively. That would just stoke the fire of their own pain, and most definitely wreak havoc on my daily dose of serenity. This person is a child of God just like me, and who am I to criticize his work being done around me?

     Our day is guaranteed to be an adventure. If we keep our spiritual antennae  pointed toward God, we are open to the message of his will for us. And with a few more prayers, maybe we'll even receive the power to carry it out. Perhaps when God puts one of these troubled souls in my path, he might be telling me to step up, get outside of myself, and be nice. Maybe that arrow they just loosed at me could be deflected with a little bit of kindness. And just maybe, they'll see the spirit of God, and their day will change for the better.

      I know that I am pretty good at getting in God's way. But if for a few minutes every couple of hours I can take that breath, and pray for the willingness to be listening for that still, small voice, an exotic and dangerous trek through the jungle becomes a walk in the park.

      As a man in recovery I am tested daily by the people, places, and things that used to be the kindling for my fire. My character defects make my sober life interesting, to say the least. It is in my addictive nature to respond to these negative stimuli with an equally opposing force, accompanied by a Braveheart-like battle cry. Thankfully, I am the beneficiary of God's grace in (most of) those moments. He helps me to see the bright side.  

     I would ask this question of my Spirit Garage fellows; what do you do, where do you go in your mind when your serenity is disturbed? What tools do you carry in your backpack as you travel down your spiritual path? How do you do your best to see everyone around you as a child of God?

     Your's in service,

     Rick G.

previous forum topic | next forum topic

Community | Big Questions