(not necessarily in that order)
The theme of joyful service and humble self-offering which has been the focus of my last couple of blog posts continues to resonate. And I realize that’s because I’m feeling called to step out in a new way.
Saying, “Here I am, Lord!” and “I will go, Lord!”
Knowing I’m an just an ordinary person who’s willing to give my all, no matter how small my all might seem to me…
“…because little becomes much as you place it in the Master’s hands.”
That’s all I need to do. It’s all I really can do.
A few months ago a random comment brought back the memory of a song that I had loved in the 80’s, but hadn’t heard — or even thought about — since. Suddenly, I really, really wanted to hear it again! I remembered that the singer was one of my sister’s favorites all those years ago, but since I was guessing the wrong name, as well as misremembering the lyrics, she couldn’t help me find it.
But I really felt like I had to hear it again, so I kept searching on the internet…and finally something clicked and I remembered the name Danniebelle! From there I was able to identify the song as “Ordinary People.”
Not only does the song still touch me deeply, it reminded me of yet another song along the same lines that we used to sing at my Unity church in the early 90’s, called “Here I Am, Lord.”
(Lyrics to both songs are below the videos.)
I have to wonder whether I knew, on some level, that a life of service to God was what my soul craved. Because that’s what both of these songs — though completely different in style and vibration — are expressing. And I’m so deeply, humbly grateful that for the past twenty years I have been blessed to live such a life.
These songs also put me in mind of the two men mentioned in yesterday’s blog post: Rep. Andy Kim and reported Andy Larsen. “Just ordinary people” who followed an inner prompting (“here I am, Lord”) and are doing major good as a result. Because…
“…little becomes much as you place it in the master’s hands.” Amen. 🙏
Ordinary People
Just ordinary people,
God uses ordinary people.
He chooses people,
just like me and you
who are willing
to do as He commands.
God uses people that will give him all,
no matter how small
your all may seem to you,
because little becomes much
as you place it in the master’s hands.
Just like that little lad
who gave Jesus all he had.
How the multitude was fed
with a fish and loaves of bread.
What you have may not seem much,
but when you yield it to the touch
of the Master’s loving hand,
then you will understand
how your life could never be the same.
Here I Am, Lord
I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.
I who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
If You lead me.
I will hold Your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my Word to them.
Whom shall I send?
I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide,
‘Til their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?
Repeat chorus
By now you’ve probably heard of Representative Andy Kim of New Jersey. That’s him in the photo above, cleaning up trash in the rotunda of the Capitol Building at midnight this past Wednesday. Because he saw the mess and felt compelled to do what he could to help.
But maybe you haven’t yet heard about the sports reporter who accidentally raised $55,000 for people in need. This blurb in the Goodnewsletter is what got my attention: After discovering $165 in a box from childhood, he [Andy Larsen] tweeted that he would donate the money. Within 24 hours nearly 1,000 strangers pitched in, and he was able to help out 64 families with rent, car repairs, groceries, medical debt, and more.
(Read the whole story by clicking here.)
I love these stories! No big fanfare. Just people experiencing for themselves the joy of saying “yes” to the divine inner prompting, and letting God use them for good.
…and a quietly beautiful end to a crazy week.
May your weekend be filled with peaceful repose and joyful fun. 🥰
“Detach yourself. Control the reactive process. Live the teachings.”
Words of deep wisdom from a devotee friend who was dying of cancer, spoken to her husband. This was ten years ago but her words have inspired and challenged many of us ever since.
Although I’ve reflected on them often over the years myself, today I had an “aha” moment. I can’t say for sure, of course, but for the first time I found myself pondering the order of the words and I would be willing to bet it’s no accident that “detach yourself” comes first.
After all, how can I possibly “control the reactive process” if I’m attached — to the outcome; to my opinions and my rights; to people being or acting a certain way; etcetera etcetera ad infinitum?!? Where there’s attachment, I’ll continue to feel a “charge” around the issue, and to be “triggered” anytime someone “pushes my button!”
No, I must develop the ability to put even a teensy bit of space between me and whatever “it” is. Once I do that I gain perspective; I can be the observer. Then and only then is there the possibility of pausing and choosing my response.
In thinking about all this, I found again a blog post by Nayaswami Jyotish that offers both spiritual insight and practical suggestions:
“Be attentive to the very next thing that upsets your peace of mind. Now trace back to why you are upset. Were you holding an expectation regarding the behavior of others? If you can let go of the expectation, you can let go of the negative reaction. Only once the negative reaction is gone, can you begin to surround the person or situation with peace, love, and harmony.”
I was in second grade when JFK was assassinated. I remember the teacher calling us in from recess to tell us the news. I remember seeing my father cry.
I remember pulling into a parking spot in front of my SF apartment as Dianne Feinstein came on the radio to announce that Mayor Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk had been assassinated at City Hall. It was barely ten days after the mass suicide at Jonestown in Guyana took over 900 lives of People’s Temple members, many of them from the Bay Area.
I remember the shock of Sept 11.
During each of these traumatic events I struggled to make sense of a world that seemed to have turned upside down before my eyes.
Worst of all was the day I learned that my baby had died in my womb at the very end of a perfectly normal pregnancy. That was the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced and I don’t know how I would have made it through if I hadn’t been consciously on the spiritual path for some time before it happened.
I was a member of Unity then and I had a strong connection with my church family, as well as a deep commitment to studying the teachings.
One of the prayers I had learned went like this: There is only one presence and one power active in all the Universe and in my life – God, the Good Omnipotent.
I knew it and prayed it and believed it. But when my baby died I was forced to put it to the test. Was I going to throw out my belief because I was so angry with God? Or was I going to lean in and grab on to it as my anchor in a sea of anguish?
You can probably guess “which way I broke,” as they say. And maybe you can also guess why I’m thinking about that prayer today.
Yes, I have been profoundly disturbed by the events in our nation’s capital today. My mind reels and I’m struggling to make sense of it all. But I know from experience that I have a choice. I always do.
So I choose to believe in and to focus on that one presence and power. I choose to remember that it is active in all the universe and in my life, in all lives. I choose to know that it is God.
We’re being put to the test. What do you choose to believe and to focus on right now? 🙏
It’s Yogananda’s birthday, but I’m the one receiving the gift of his many blessings!
Thank you, Master, for all the ways you have transformed (and continue transforming) my life.
Some days it’s just good to be reminded of what’s really important.
Breathe in, breathe out. Repeat. 🥰
This evening I happened upon a Rick Steves video about the west of England, which brought back vivid memories of my one trip to the British Isles in the late 90’s.
I had a lot of Irish-Irish (as opposed to Irish-American) connections at the time and already had a deep love for the “auld country.” And as a longtime fan of both Georgette Heyer and PG Wodehouse I felt a strong affinity for England as well. Wales, however, was a revelation; I felt absolutely and completely at home there (we didn’t make it to Scotland, unfortunately).
Anyways, watching the Rick Steves video reminded me especially of being at Stonehenge (where our group had a special appointment which allowed us to actually spend time amongst the stones afterhours; we even held a brief ceremony there); Glastonbury (where we visited the Chalice Well and hiked up to the Tor); and Tintern Abbey (on the bank of the Welsh side of the River Wye).
Tintern Abbey in particular had such a powerful effect on me that I felt quite disoriented the whole time we were there. It was one of the most intensely beautiful places I had ever been, but more than that was the extremely odd sense of not feeling entirely certain of when I was (a strange way of putting it, but that’s how it felt).
I do hope I get a chance to visit the UK again some day.
I called a business today and was put on hold. Nothing new there.
But then I did something I haven’t done in ages…while waiting I started to doodle. And that was actually quite amazing; I don’t know what prompted me to do it, but it felt like an important (re)discovery.
I used to doodle a lot when I was young; both in-the-margin type doodles and drawings that involved lots of repetitive detail work. But somewhere along the way I seem to have stopped. I wonder why…
After I had finished the phone call I continued doodling for a while, just because. It felt rather odd, like I was “rusty” at it, but it also felt…good. That made me curious to know more about it.
Turns out doodling is a trendy thing nowadays (unlike when I was a kid and you just did it!), mainly because science has proven its benefits. I found a ton of interesting articles about it (see links at the bottom of the page).
But here’s what I found truly hilarious: there were also lots of articles and videos and products on “How to Doodle” — I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that like taking lessons in how to be spontaneous?
Oh well, the important thing is that I think it would be a good idea to start doodling regularly again. Fun!
The Power of the Doodle: Improve Your Focus and Memory (Wall Street Journal)
The Cognitive Benefits of Doodling (The Atlantic)
5 Big Benefits Of Being A Doodler (HuffPost)
The Benefits of Doodling (Vox)
The Power and Purpose of Doodling (The Art of Education University)