(not necessarily in that order)
We had every intention of attending Sunday service this morning.
But it was a lovely day; our patio garden is really coming together; and neither of us could remember the last time we spent such a relaxed morning together on a Sunday.
It was blissful.
Ananda LA’s Yogananda Fest was tremendously successful on every level, filled with inspiration, creativity, service, and satsang.
We reconnected with old friends and met strangers who felt like we’d known them forever.
There’s more I could say but I’m too tired. And tomorrow is Sunday service, followed by the long drive home.
So…good night!
“Celebrate the birth of Christ in the cradle of your consciousness during the Christmas season. Let His vast perception in Nature, in space, and in love be felt within your heart, as well as in the hearts of men of all races and religions.”
–Excerpt from “To Meditate on Christmas Morn,” from the 1952 Edition of Yogananda’s “Metaphysical Meditations.”
Yogananda started the tradition of the eight-hour Christmas meditation in order to honor “spiritual” Christmas as well as “social” Christmas. As Swami Kriyananda said, it’s a time for inviting the infinite Christ to be born anew in the ‘mangers’ of our hearts.
The idea of meditating for an entire day can feel a little (or a lot!) intimidating, but it’s actually an amazingly beautiful and powerful experience. In fact, some insights came to me this year that I’ve been wanting to find the time to explore further.
First of all, I found myself using a different method of categorizing the “types” of Christmas one finds in our society:
Material Christmas (or “Who’s even thinking about Jesus?!?”)
Religious Christmas (or “Jesus is the reason for the season.”)
Spiritual Christmas (or “Seeking to experience the inner Christ consciousness, born anew in the manger of our hearts.”)
Next I marveled at how we can all be so incredibly busy in the lead-up to Christmas — events, decorating, planning, buying gifts, etc. — only to arrive at the 23rd, two days before Christmas itself, and drop everything. And I do mean, everything. All of Ananda Village just stops. Literally.
But I’ll confess that on the evening of December 22, it did cross my mind that I could get a whole lot accomplished if I stayed home and worked on the 23rd. I didn’t give in to the temptation, but it was there.
So, I got to thinking about the need, even (or maybe especially?) at Ananda, to balance our Martha and Mary tendencies.
Not that we are necessarily “worried and bothered about so many things”; we truly do find great joy in service. However, during super busy times like the holiday season, we have to remember to stop serving long enough to sit at the feet of the Lord and just BE with God. And that’s what the all-day meditation allows us to do.
Finally, I have to say how moving it was, as the day drew to a close, to reflect that two days before Christmas close to two hundred people dropped everything for eight full hours in order to sit in silence and celebrate the birth of Christ in the cradle of their consciousness.
I was so grateful to be sharing that experience with my spiritual family.
Today we had a community work day — one of my favorite Ananda events!
Even though I woke up extremely tired, and ended up missing the opening prayer and a good part of the morning, I knew I would regret it if I didn’t go for at least a portion of the day.
As usual, offering myself in service and sharing satsang with my spiritual family raised both my spirits and my energy.
I was helping at the Ananda Farm, where we stripped the tiny leaves off a grocery bag’s worth of dried thyme.
So, we really were “doing thyme” while sharing satsang.
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
We’re no longer counting weeks until the 50th anniversary. We’re counting days. As in ten days from tomorrow (gulp!).
But you know what? Divine Mother really does have our back! Today I received–completely out of the blue–the most beautiful, generous, incredible offer of help imaginable, from someone who’s coming to the 50th and wants to serve.
Believe me, I said YES! so fast it made my head spin, because I want Divine Mother, God, the Universe, All That Is to see just how open and receptive I am.
This brings to mind a line from a prayer-poem of Yogananda’s that my husband and I have been working with for some time now:
“When you do your part and rely on God to do His, you will find that mysterious forces come to your aid and that all your constructive wishes soon materialize.”
Maybe my friend from the East Coast isn’t a “mysterious force” but she’s definitely coming to my aid. And I’m extremely grateful.