Charleston: Facing the Unknown

Charleston: Facing the Unknown

“Facing the unknown is not quite so hard when we consider how much of our life is lived in the heart of mystery. We do not know what may come our way in the next five minutes, much less the next five days. We are given all the tools and skills we need to make our way through this reality, but the essence of that reality always eludes our final capture.

This is why trust is our currency, and wisdom is our direction. We are explorers. We are travelers of the mind and seafarers of the heart. When we follow the Spirit, the unknown is only a bend in the road.”—Steven Charleston’s Facebook Page.

Bishop Charleston reminds us that even when we think we have made all the plans for our day, something different always happens. It can be just a tiny annoyance from a problematic person, a printer problem, or a more significant event, such as an illness, accident, or even death. We fool ourselves if we think we are in control. I have a friend who says, “I am fine if I have all my ducks in a row.” But, of course, he also says, “but that never happens.”

When we decide to follow the Spirit, what 12-step groups call “doing the next right thing,” we have a chance at a life of peace and surrender to what is happening at that moment. That is living in the present. The precious present.

This is our gift each day from the God of love. We are to be present in each situation, trying not to worry about what has happened in the past or dreading the future. Living in the present is where God meets and speaks to us. In the present moment, we become open to connecting to the Christ within us and the Christ in our neighbor.

Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/

 

Charleston: Gladness, Gratefulness, Acceptance, Peace

Charleston: Gladness, Gratefulness, Acceptance, Peace

“Be glad today for the many small graces that line the path of our lives like flowers. Be open to the surprises that may come and alert to the quiet messages whispered on the wind. Be creative in shaping your life in these few hours, for every day is a blank canvas. Be a blessing to others as the night draws near and let your evening prayers keep them safe until you awake again.”—Steven Charleston Daily Facebook Page.

rise and shine. Joanna Campbell

Every day, we have choices. First, we can obsess over the past, what we have lost, mistakes we have made. Second, we can obsess over the future and what we will lose, especially as we age or fall into new mistakes. The past and potential future become our “gods, taking up rent in our heads”—consuming all our time and energy. Our mind keeps racing faster to make plans and find solutions.

Our third choice is to live consciously, moment by moment, in the now. We can enjoy, treasure, and give thanks for each day’s gifts, which come to us in each present moment. This involves an impressive awareness of our surroundings and relationships, enlarging our worldview, and getting “out of ourselves.” The challenge is not to forget our mistakes but to learn from them and make them less often in the future.

Acceptance of ourselves as works in progress, not works seeking perfection, is enormous. Acceptance that there is a power greater than ourselves caring for us is paramount. I talk daily with people upset about plans that were not going their way, only to become thankful later because “their plan” would have been destructive.

joanna campbell

I think of old boyfriends I obsessed about who ignored me as a teenager. I realize today that my life would have been a disaster with any of them. I think of people who came and continue to come into my life to change my direction when I go down the wrong path. I think of people who cared for our children when we couldn’t or were not the ones they needed at the time.

As we age, we may find ourselves filled with anxiety from contemplating the deterioration of health, the death of a spouse, or living on a fixed income, and now living in a time of destructive weather due to climate change. There are so many uncertainties.

We have a part to play in overcoming this. First, we must do our best to keep ourselves healthy through diet, exercise, and proper medical care. But then, our best response should be to wake up each morning with gratitude for the gifts of another day together.  

Acceptance and gratitude are our cornerstones, the primary building blocks to peace and serenity.

 I am writing this so I will continue to remember it.

ann gornatti garden

Anne Frank: The Remedy

Anne Frank: The Remedy

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy, is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God.”—From Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (1947).

Anne Frank Attic Window

Anne Frank hid in a cramped, secret upstairs annex of an office building for over two years with her parents, sister, and four other Jewish people: Hermann and Auguste van Pels, their son Peter, and Fritz Pfeffer. Otto Frank’s company owned the building; a bookcase concealed the entrance. Anne and the seven other people could never venture outside. A small window in the attic through which she could see a chestnut tree was her only chance of getting fresh air. In a powerful reflection in her diary, she calls it “the remedy.”

Anne was fifteen when her family was discovered and sent to Auschwitz’s death camp. Later, she was sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where she died weeks before British soldiers liberated the camp.

Today, we thank Miep Gies, one of Mr. Frank’s employees, who helped the Frank family hide and later retrieved Anne’s diary. Otto was the only member to survive. He received the diary from Gies on returning to Amsterdam after the liberation.

Anne Frank House Annex

Every day, I know that I take Anne’s “remedy,” the world outside my window, for granted. So, I am putting Anne’s picture on my desk, hoping to honor her brief life and its truth. I also hope I can always hear the call from Miep to reach out to those who desperately need our help.

Anne’s remedy was the remedy for so many during this pandemic who felt how the Franks were trapped in a small way. People were walking, sitting, biking, and running outside. Like Miep, we were also given a chance to care for others in some small way by staying socially distant and wearing our masks. We did this to care for ourselves, but also showed that we cared for others, one person at a time.

What amazing remedies are we charged to continue! Enjoying and caring for nature and ourselves is also a way to care for our neighbors in the present and our neighbors to come.