WHAT, NOT HOW
After a few days away,
the return to the farm showed that heavy rains had fallen. The drive in
was slippery, the grass alongside the drive waterlogged, and creek was
overflowing. Of course, I love the creek flowing this much, as it can
then be heard through the bedroom window in the quiet of night.
This sometimes means that the van must be parked on the other side of the creek, in case the water rises more, hiding the rickety bridge almost completely. This is rare though and is worth the trudge across in gumboots. Country life is beautiful in so many regards. So having to work in with nature at such times is no problem at all.
The force of nature is the ruler in the end. We only need to see the huge effects of changing weather patterns to confirm this. But by nature, I don't just mean trees and ocean. Nature to me is God, the universe, Dhamma, and any other name you wish to give to the Great Spirit that resides within us all and around us.
So while there are human, animal, and plant lives lost through various forces of nature, like changing weather patterns, earthquakes, tsunamis, and numerous other incidents, there are also human, animal, and plant lives blessed by nature's powerful forces. It's good to remember that every day, for example, life blesses many people with prayers answered through unexpected channels.
The creative abilities of the universe are phenomenal and learning to let go and trust that the things we need, will come to us in their own way, is one of the greatest things we can do for ourselves. It is also one of the hardest things to learn. But having practiced this level of faith for a long time and seen many things flow to me from unimagined sources, I can only say that in the end, it is nature that calls the shots.
We do what we can to create the lives we dream. We work towards our goals. We take what action we can. We put our prayers and intentions out there, along with our gratitude. But how things come to us is up to God.
One of the things most people do is to block the flow by spending too much time focusing on the 'how' rather than 'what'. Trusting in the creative abilities of the universe makes life a much more joyful process, not to mention easier.
As I write this, a magpie is in full song in the huge Tallowwood tree by the creek. In the distance, a butcherbird replies to my whistle. I smile at the joy that birds share through song.
We are all guilty of taking life too seriously at times. But as delightful melodies from the magpie float through the autumn sunshine in through my office window, I have wonder why. Again I am shown that life is a beautiful and joyous process, when we allow it to be.
A friend of mine stresses over almost everything and while I have compassion and patience, it saddens me to be reminded of how many people do exactly the same, robbing themselves of happiness for no necessary reasons, on a continual basis.
The other day, while sharing my thoughts with him about focusing on what he needs or wants, instead of focusing on how it is to come to him, I thank God for taking over the reins and offering a real life example. An unexpected bill had come in, creating unnecessary stress, only to be followed the next day by some unexpected money coming in, of course almost for the exact amount (there were ten dollars left over, which he decided to buy chocolate with to celebrate). Oh how I love the perfection!
Water has subsided and the bridge now dries in the warmth of autumn sunshine. A breeze blows playfully through the window. Numerous birds sing their songs, some delightfully colourful ones too (the songs, not the birds, though that too).
And as I think about my own life, I acknowledge that I had wanted to return to a rural existence for a long, long time. How living exactly here came to be, could never have been predicted or planned. I knew what I wanted. The universe looked after how the right place would present itself to me, as the universe always does.
How blessed we all are, especially when we remember to let go and let God.
The birds and I send our love to you on this beautiful autumn day.
The Magpie photo used in this story is from Australian Birdlife Photo Library. To view more of their fabulous work, or to order prints for your own home, please visit www.birdphotos.com.au.
This sometimes means that the van must be parked on the other side of the creek, in case the water rises more, hiding the rickety bridge almost completely. This is rare though and is worth the trudge across in gumboots. Country life is beautiful in so many regards. So having to work in with nature at such times is no problem at all.
The force of nature is the ruler in the end. We only need to see the huge effects of changing weather patterns to confirm this. But by nature, I don't just mean trees and ocean. Nature to me is God, the universe, Dhamma, and any other name you wish to give to the Great Spirit that resides within us all and around us.
So while there are human, animal, and plant lives lost through various forces of nature, like changing weather patterns, earthquakes, tsunamis, and numerous other incidents, there are also human, animal, and plant lives blessed by nature's powerful forces. It's good to remember that every day, for example, life blesses many people with prayers answered through unexpected channels.
The creative abilities of the universe are phenomenal and learning to let go and trust that the things we need, will come to us in their own way, is one of the greatest things we can do for ourselves. It is also one of the hardest things to learn. But having practiced this level of faith for a long time and seen many things flow to me from unimagined sources, I can only say that in the end, it is nature that calls the shots.
We do what we can to create the lives we dream. We work towards our goals. We take what action we can. We put our prayers and intentions out there, along with our gratitude. But how things come to us is up to God.
One of the things most people do is to block the flow by spending too much time focusing on the 'how' rather than 'what'. Trusting in the creative abilities of the universe makes life a much more joyful process, not to mention easier.
As I write this, a magpie is in full song in the huge Tallowwood tree by the creek. In the distance, a butcherbird replies to my whistle. I smile at the joy that birds share through song.
We are all guilty of taking life too seriously at times. But as delightful melodies from the magpie float through the autumn sunshine in through my office window, I have wonder why. Again I am shown that life is a beautiful and joyous process, when we allow it to be.
A friend of mine stresses over almost everything and while I have compassion and patience, it saddens me to be reminded of how many people do exactly the same, robbing themselves of happiness for no necessary reasons, on a continual basis.
The other day, while sharing my thoughts with him about focusing on what he needs or wants, instead of focusing on how it is to come to him, I thank God for taking over the reins and offering a real life example. An unexpected bill had come in, creating unnecessary stress, only to be followed the next day by some unexpected money coming in, of course almost for the exact amount (there were ten dollars left over, which he decided to buy chocolate with to celebrate). Oh how I love the perfection!
Water has subsided and the bridge now dries in the warmth of autumn sunshine. A breeze blows playfully through the window. Numerous birds sing their songs, some delightfully colourful ones too (the songs, not the birds, though that too).
And as I think about my own life, I acknowledge that I had wanted to return to a rural existence for a long, long time. How living exactly here came to be, could never have been predicted or planned. I knew what I wanted. The universe looked after how the right place would present itself to me, as the universe always does.
How blessed we all are, especially when we remember to let go and let God.
The birds and I send our love to you on this beautiful autumn day.
~~~~~~~~~
The Magpie photo used in this story is from Australian Birdlife Photo Library. To view more of their fabulous work, or to order prints for your own home, please visit www.birdphotos.com.au.
