Leave the Past Behind

As I approach the end of another year, I am reminded that ruminating on the past serves no purpose.  Whatever difficulties or challenges that I’ve faced, joyful moments I’ve experienced, mistakes I’ve made and lessons I’ve learned, are all now in the past.  In order to move forward, I need to keep in my heart what is helpful, let the rest go and just be here now, in this moment. 

Sitting in this now moment, just breathing and being, I am aware of my spirit within, like a little spark of light that expands and makes my inner vision clearer.  I realize that I am all that I have and am responsible for, really.  I cannot help someone who doesn’t want to be helped, fix anyone other than myself, or have a relationship with someone who doesn’t want the same.  When I draw my last breath, I will do it alone, and face whatever is beyond with no one but God.

So, I’d best learn to live with and love myself…be kind to myself and nurture my spirit within.  Like so many people, especially women, I have spent my life caring for others-my spouse, my children and grandchildren, my students, my pets, and those less fortunate.  We, as spiritual beings, are called to do all these things and to “love our neighbors as ourselves”.  But we tend to forget the part about “as ourselves” and focus only on the needs of others, so that we neglect our own best interests.  
A big part of learning to love ourselves unconditionally is in letting go of the burden of blame for past mistakes; to learn from them but then be willing to move on and not continually beat ourselves up (and not letting others do it either). 
Each new day really is a gift, a fresh opportunity to release regret, resentment and guilt (whatever is hindering our path forward), to nurture the inner self, to find peace within and to give of ourselves from the bounty of a refreshed heart.

Nurture the Inner Light

Letting Go of Holiday Expectations

To experience the true peace and joy of the season, we may need to let go of our expectations of perfection.  It may not be possible to do it all, to find all the right gifts, to finish our baking or attend every holiday event.  We may have family members who've passed on or children who've grown and moved away and we find ourselves having to adjust our ideas about what our holiday should be.

When my children were young, I put tremendous pressure on myself to find every gift on their list (and often go into debt to do so),  make sure they had the perfect Christmas outfits, that we baked and decorated cut-out cookies, attended every concert and event, and visited all the relatives.  We had a special family time together on Christmas Eve, complete with singing Christmas carols around the neighborhood's 20 ft. tall decorated tree with friends and attending a beautiful candlelight service at our church. Christmas day was a dizzying flurry of activity: opening Santa gifts, having a big breakfast, then getting into our finery for a day of driving an hour and a half, dragging our children from one relative's house to another for more food and gifts.  It was fun, but exhausting and I realize, looking back, that I probably would have been more relaxed if I had let a few things go.

Now, my parents and in-laws have passed on, one daughter lives far away and can't make it here, the other is spending Christmas with her boyfriend's family, and I am realizing that this Christmas will be a very quiet one.  I am finding, surprisingly, that I am ok with having fewer demands on me, with doing less and releasing my expectations.  There is joy in simplicity....

  I am embracing the peace of that silent night so long ago, 

when a Savior was born and the world was changed forever.

Forgiveness Heals the Heart

As we journey through life, it is inevitable that we will experience pain, emotional hurts, or even trauma.  These experiences leave an indelible impression on our hearts. If we try to hide them and don’t work to process the emotions attached to them, they can manifest as psychological and physical illnesses.
                                                 

For some of us, it seems natural to deal with pain by lashing out angrily, blaming the person or thing that is causing the hurt; and to build up resentments that can have damaging effects on our own health and destroy our relationships.  For others, the anger turns inward, blaming oneself and resulting in depression and apathy.  We may also choose to hide from the painful experience, cutting ourselves off from loved ones or friends who have done things that we find hurtful.  Each one of these is a very human way to deal with pain.

True healing, however, comes only through the power of forgiveness.  Although this is difficult, if not impossible, to do on our own strength, we can ask for Divine assistance to forgive, forget and let go.  

Corrie Ten Boom, who was arrested for hiding Jews during WWII and survived the horrors of a concentration camp, was once asked to do the seemingly impossible: after giving a speech on the power of forgiveness, she was approached by one of her former prison guards, who told her that he had become a Christian and asked her if she could forgive him for what he had done.  By an extraordinary act of will and prayer that filled her with a supernatural healing warmth, she was able to extend her hand and forgive this man who had inflicted so much pain.  This experience brought her extraordinary release and her tears flowed freely.

Thankfully, most of have not experienced the horrors of a concentration camp, but our painful experiences are very real and can loom large in our lives.  Only forgiveness has the power to set us free from the past and give us the strength and peace we need to move forward.

                                                             Meditation for today:

Breathe deeply and slowly to the count of 4; breathe out to the count of 8; visualize someone who has hurt you and who you need to forgive.  Imagine that person bathed in light and ask for the strength to release the pain and forgive. 

 Then release, let go of the past and be free...

Be Thankful in All Circumstances

Gratitude is the buzzword of the holiday season.  We focus on our blessings as we enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends and we look forward to the month-long celebration of Light with anticipation and gratitude for all we've been given. Some of us may keep gratitude journals, or otherwise list reminders of the things that we're thankful for. 

It's easy to give thanks for the good things; much harder to be thankful when circumstances are difficult, when bad things happen, when its challenging to try to put on a happy face and go about the business of living.

Yet gratitude in the midst of suffering is the path to hope and healing.  1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us: "Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances...do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophesies with contempt; test everything; hold onto the good.."

Even in the darkest of times, it is possible to find a ray of light and hope- that thing to hold onto.  We can choose to be thankful for what the darkness has to teach us, for the nugget of goodness in the midst of it.  We can simply be thankful that God is with us, giving us peace. 

Whether we are going through a happy time in life or a sad, challenging time, we are never alone and there is always much to be grateful for.

Meditation for the day: 

 Breathe in light and love, 

breathe out sadness, anger and fear... 

give thanks for the Light and Goodness that has overcome the darkness
...be still.