Sunday, October 31, 2010
2:10 PM | Posted by
Unknown
I'm sure you have heard about what it means to live in the moment. It is to accept what is at that time and just run with it. Don't question what could be or worry about what isn't, just accept what is and work with it when it happens. This way of living provides us with a level of spontaneity that, in some situations, is very admirable. There is also living for tomorrow, being aware of future needs and preparing for what is surely to come by making preparations today. Living in the past robs us of all the present and future joys, because we can't let go of what used to be or what happened in a single defining time of our life. Then there is living for today, an expanded version of living in the moment. Living for today means that our focus, our world view and vision of reality is centered around the here and now. It is part of the "eat, drink, and be merry" syndrome that has caused our society to become so short sighted. It is because we tend to live for today that we make unwise choices that have negative impacts on our lives in the future. We pick up addictive habits that hobble our abilities to feel the Spirit or learn wisdom. Living for today keeps our focus on what feels good now, what interests will serve us best (as opposed to those around us), and how this can make us happy right now. It is short sighted and selfish, and most of the world lives this way. That is why our rivers are clogged with pollution and our land torn up and eroding away. This is what causes prosperity in one country and starvation next door. Living for today is self serving, and is the food of pride.
There is another type of living that I call living in the gasp. Let me explain. I used to have a difficult time comprehending how the different parts of Christ's Gospel fit together. I understood each part, but couldn't quite grasp the implications of how all the pieces fit together. One of the main ways people feel the Spirit of God is through the peace He brings to our heart and soul. This contentment and sureness of a principle or understanding we receive brings with it great satisfaction and happiness. But there is another type of experience that is more rare, and far more powerful than the gentle promptings and assurances we receive from the Holy Ghost. I don't know what to call it, except to label it the Gasp.
I have found that once in a great while I will be pondering something or listening to someone and will get to thinking about how something in the Gospel works. As I focus and ponder further on it, bringing into my mind references from various parts of the scriptures and teachings of the prophets, something happens that is unlike any other experience in mortality. I would call it a movie, but it is more than that. It is like I am watching the things of eternity, but I am actually there, not just watching, but experiencing first hand, feeling the senses that you get when you actively participate in a live event. Your ability to comprehend and grasp the event goes beyond the visual comprehension of a movie. I actually begin to see how all this personally affects me. I begin to grasp my place in the eternal scheme of things. I begin to understand why the Lord has told us to do certain things. But more importantly are the feelings that come.
When I begin to really internalize a gospel principle, like how the atoning sacrifice of Christ makes it possible for me to repent, I begin to realize how lost my soul would be, how hopeless my plight, how vain my own efforts would be, if not for His sacrifice on my behalf. I don't understand how great that sacrifice was, but I understand how pitiful my own strength is in the eternal matters of my soul. I am overwhelmed with many feelings at once. I feel sorrow for my own stupidity, and the cost He had to bear because of it. I feel wonder beyond my ability to express it for how such a sacrifice was even possible. I feel humbled by my own insignificance, yet am lifted up by my recognition that this was all possible only because we are literal children of God, and He has done all this and more in order to save his precious children.
Such feelings are almost more than one can bear. But there is the culminating feeling that always comes last. It is the zenith of the spiritual injection. The feeling is actually a two-for-one deal. As my shock at my own nothingness begins to subside, there is a growing sense of gratitude that replaces it. Thankfulness that someone loved me so much that worlds were created for my benefit. Thankfulness that someone loves me so much that He was willing to pay whatever price Eternal Law demanded in order to open a way for me to be rescued from an otherwise inescapable situation, for I am incapable of saving myself.
As I begin to fully experience this rush of gratitude, it is accompanied by an overwhelming need to express that gratitude. I used to think, "How vain. Why would the Lord allow choirs to sing His praises night and day for all eternity? That seems so vain." But when I am in the process of realizing just how lost I would be without my Father's plan and my elder brother's sacrifice for me, my only desire is to sing praises to my God and His Christ forever and ever. This is the gasp. I catch my breath and struggle to breath as my soul reverberates with alternating waves of gratitude and desires to shout His praises all the day long. My devotion at those times is pure and genuine. I want nothing more than to glorify God. I know my place. I know where I belong. I am excited that this being, to whom I owe so much, wants me to be with Him, wants me to be a God, like Him, and loves me without limits or conditions. I weep, and the tears flow freely, without restraint.
I don't know how long these experiences last, but I can't imagine they last more than a few moments. But that is long enough. I couldn't handle more than that. This is like a feast for the soul. I feel more satisfied, more fulfilled, and more content after one of these experiences than from anything else. If this is spiritual food, then I can see why the Lord says he delights in fatness.
Living in the gasp means to live each day with a bright recollection of who we are, and our purpose for being here. It is to have a keen understanding and sense of appreciation for the love our God has for us. It is to understand that people are more important than things, and that sometimes they are even more important than my petty wants. Living in the gasp is living with Eternal perspective, living each day from God's perspective of why I am here.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
My wife said there is a new book out called, "Even the Prophet Started Out as a Deacon." That set off a chain of thoughts that lead me here. Lucky you.
While it is true that even the mightiest Latter-Day prophet started out as a Deacon, the reverse is not true, that every Deacon ends up a prophet. That is what got me thinking. Why not? As I recall the promises that made the Prophet what he is today weren't any different for the other boys in his Deacon's quorum. The Lord doesn't apply a separate set of requirements and promises to intended prophets than what the rest of us get. That opens up some interesting possibilities.
I haven't ever been called as a Bishop. Does that mean that I will be forever held in lower esteem by the Lord because I haven't held that position? The answer is no. Let's be clear about that. What does the Lord really care about? He cares if I am worthy enough to be a Bishop if he ever has need of me in that position. That is all that matters. So if all that matters is that I am worthy of being a Bishop if the Lord decided that I was needed in that capacity, then why can't I assume that I can be every bit as worthy of the Lord's blessings as the Prophet, without being the Prophet?
We all have our callings in the Church. Almost every Bishop in the Church is a Bishop over people who were once his Bishop. Same goes for those in Stake Presidencies. If there weren't people worthy of being Apostles and Prophets who are currently not serving in that capacity, then where would the Lord go to find the replacements when one of them dies?
It is not vanity that tells me I can be as worthy of the Lord's love and blessings as His Apostles and Prophets. It is the Lord that says He expects me to be that worthy. That is, after all, the purpose of all the covenants I have made since I stepped into the waters of baptism.
All this is to say that we should never set our dear Brethren in a category that is unattainable for us. Yes, they hold the sacred callings of being especial witnesses of the Lord, but we can be, and should be His witnesses as well. We don't have the weight of responsibility they carry in the Kingdom, but we can and should be carrying our weight with dignity and humility in the sphere we are called upon to act in. The Lord loves us no less than His Twelve. Our blessings in the eternities can be as great. But somewhere along the way we need to decide that even though we can't all be the Prophet, we can all start out as "Deacons" and progress through the ranks of covenant making, and faithful living, and in the end receive all the approval and blessings the Father has promised to those who follow His Son.
While it is true that even the mightiest Latter-Day prophet started out as a Deacon, the reverse is not true, that every Deacon ends up a prophet. That is what got me thinking. Why not? As I recall the promises that made the Prophet what he is today weren't any different for the other boys in his Deacon's quorum. The Lord doesn't apply a separate set of requirements and promises to intended prophets than what the rest of us get. That opens up some interesting possibilities.
I haven't ever been called as a Bishop. Does that mean that I will be forever held in lower esteem by the Lord because I haven't held that position? The answer is no. Let's be clear about that. What does the Lord really care about? He cares if I am worthy enough to be a Bishop if he ever has need of me in that position. That is all that matters. So if all that matters is that I am worthy of being a Bishop if the Lord decided that I was needed in that capacity, then why can't I assume that I can be every bit as worthy of the Lord's blessings as the Prophet, without being the Prophet?
We all have our callings in the Church. Almost every Bishop in the Church is a Bishop over people who were once his Bishop. Same goes for those in Stake Presidencies. If there weren't people worthy of being Apostles and Prophets who are currently not serving in that capacity, then where would the Lord go to find the replacements when one of them dies?
It is not vanity that tells me I can be as worthy of the Lord's love and blessings as His Apostles and Prophets. It is the Lord that says He expects me to be that worthy. That is, after all, the purpose of all the covenants I have made since I stepped into the waters of baptism.
All this is to say that we should never set our dear Brethren in a category that is unattainable for us. Yes, they hold the sacred callings of being especial witnesses of the Lord, but we can be, and should be His witnesses as well. We don't have the weight of responsibility they carry in the Kingdom, but we can and should be carrying our weight with dignity and humility in the sphere we are called upon to act in. The Lord loves us no less than His Twelve. Our blessings in the eternities can be as great. But somewhere along the way we need to decide that even though we can't all be the Prophet, we can all start out as "Deacons" and progress through the ranks of covenant making, and faithful living, and in the end receive all the approval and blessings the Father has promised to those who follow His Son.
I have noticed something about the old potluck dinners. You may not be old enough to remember what real potlucks were like. The object was that you said to all your neighbors, "Hey! Let's have dinner together. This is casual. We are just getting together to enjoy each other's company, so bring whatever you like." Very interesting concept that, getting together just because you liked each other.
See, the old potluck dinners, though they didn't know it at the time, embodied a mindset that no longer exists. Back then it was understood that life is fragile. Sometimes people had tragedy in their lives, and everyone had to be able to rely on each other. They trusted each other. So how does this fit with dinner you say? I'll tell you. It didn't bother anyone that they didn't know what anyone else was bringing to eat. That was half the fun. If everyone brought rolls, then it was like a giant scone fest. Out came all the jams, jellies, and spreads, and everyone had a good laugh over it. They may end up with a dessert showcase instead. But then no one ever complains about too much dessert.
The company was paramount at a potluck. The "luck" part was just for fun. So when did we run out of luck?
I live in Hawaii. Perhaps there are places on the mainland where real potlucks still take place, but not here. The modern culture is run by a sense of this ultimate ability to control everything in their world. Nothing is left up to chance. It just isn't done any more. Today's version of a potluck is to call it a potluck (that gives it that old fashioned flare and makes everyone feel all warm and fuzzy), but they post a menu list with categories, and everyone has to sign up for one of the limited number of slots in each category. Where is the fun in that? That isn't a potluck, that is a planned menu.
People act like there is some big conspiracy in play if you suggest that we leave the menu up to chance. They have to know exactly what each person is bringing, and in what amount, or they act like someone or something might get them in a dark alley. I've tried to talk people into doing it up right, but have been informed that I'm being silly. After all, you can't leave such things to chance. The women look at me like they really want to say, "Leave it to a man to be such a dunce about a social function!", but are just too polite to say it out loud.
I guess this is what happens when you don't notice that the world has changed. I must have missed that memo. My son is having a potluck this weekend for his birthday. I tried the potluck pitch on him, but instead have received two Facebook reminders that I need to go sign up for what I am bringing so that there are no duplicates at the "potluck."
The original definition of barnacle was a type of grey goose. Now it means just a crustacean. I guess my definition of potluck has gone the way of the barnacle goose, and me along with it.
See, the old potluck dinners, though they didn't know it at the time, embodied a mindset that no longer exists. Back then it was understood that life is fragile. Sometimes people had tragedy in their lives, and everyone had to be able to rely on each other. They trusted each other. So how does this fit with dinner you say? I'll tell you. It didn't bother anyone that they didn't know what anyone else was bringing to eat. That was half the fun. If everyone brought rolls, then it was like a giant scone fest. Out came all the jams, jellies, and spreads, and everyone had a good laugh over it. They may end up with a dessert showcase instead. But then no one ever complains about too much dessert.
The company was paramount at a potluck. The "luck" part was just for fun. So when did we run out of luck?
I live in Hawaii. Perhaps there are places on the mainland where real potlucks still take place, but not here. The modern culture is run by a sense of this ultimate ability to control everything in their world. Nothing is left up to chance. It just isn't done any more. Today's version of a potluck is to call it a potluck (that gives it that old fashioned flare and makes everyone feel all warm and fuzzy), but they post a menu list with categories, and everyone has to sign up for one of the limited number of slots in each category. Where is the fun in that? That isn't a potluck, that is a planned menu.
People act like there is some big conspiracy in play if you suggest that we leave the menu up to chance. They have to know exactly what each person is bringing, and in what amount, or they act like someone or something might get them in a dark alley. I've tried to talk people into doing it up right, but have been informed that I'm being silly. After all, you can't leave such things to chance. The women look at me like they really want to say, "Leave it to a man to be such a dunce about a social function!", but are just too polite to say it out loud.
I guess this is what happens when you don't notice that the world has changed. I must have missed that memo. My son is having a potluck this weekend for his birthday. I tried the potluck pitch on him, but instead have received two Facebook reminders that I need to go sign up for what I am bringing so that there are no duplicates at the "potluck."
The original definition of barnacle was a type of grey goose. Now it means just a crustacean. I guess my definition of potluck has gone the way of the barnacle goose, and me along with it.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
I stepped back and looked at my life from the perspective of decades later.
When I was a little child the world revolved around me. There was no trouble but in the moment, and it was only mine. When I got older I was aware that my brothers and sisters had some problems, but mine were still of the greatest importance. When I married I adopted all my wife's problems. Now I had to learn to deal with not only mine, but hers and ours as well. And I thought being a teenager had been tough.
When the children came along, another layer of trouble was added to my life. There were regular trips to the hospital for sickness, cuts, breaks, braces, you name it. As the children approached coming of age I began to recognize that it did me no good to try to answer for their mistakes, and trying to be personally responsible for their problems was more than I could bear.
This was when I came up with the term, "divorcing your children." At some point every parent needs to stop feeling personally responsible for every decision each child makes. Some sort of separation has to take place. The parent eventually needs to learn that whatever they had done to teach and train up that child would have to suffice. Yes we continue to feel the need to counsel our children, but we can no longer take personal responsibility for every action they take. And some of them take some pretty stupid actions. I don't know why they do that, because no one in my generation did such things ...
Anyway, the children grew up and started to have children. They made the same types of mistakes I made at their age, and I can counsel, but can't allow myself to own their problems. That is hard to do. I so want them to make better choices and be happier because they bipassed my old mistakes. I'm not so encouraged when I see some of my children making mistakes that I never dreamed of making. All I can think of to say is, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." But what can you do but continue to love them and try to help them find their way out of the results of their own actions, knowing that many of those results will haunt them for decades and generations to come.
Finally, the grandchildren start to grow up and start to marry, and the process starts all over again. Where am I now? I am on the outside. The great grandparent becomes an almost silent witness to the results of our parenting methods, those of our children, and those of their children. No longer could I even possibly take responsibility for all those people and their personal decisions. Now I have to watch as my posterity moves on without me. My family has hit critical mass, it carries on without my help and continues to grow. As the once great and all important person, I have progressed to partner, parent, family patriarch, and then faded into a person that little children know only by old photographs and family stories. But I watch, and I see. As a couple we see our traits, habits, issues, and strengths being passed from one generation down to another, mixing with other families along the way. Part of us will always be in them, though our time has come and gone. We have lead, directed, prayed for, blessed, and nurtured our family the only way we knew how at the time. Would we do it differently if we had the chance to do it again? I certainly hope so. If I didn't do it differently then what have I really learned from the experience?
When I was a little child the world revolved around me. There was no trouble but in the moment, and it was only mine. When I got older I was aware that my brothers and sisters had some problems, but mine were still of the greatest importance. When I married I adopted all my wife's problems. Now I had to learn to deal with not only mine, but hers and ours as well. And I thought being a teenager had been tough.
When the children came along, another layer of trouble was added to my life. There were regular trips to the hospital for sickness, cuts, breaks, braces, you name it. As the children approached coming of age I began to recognize that it did me no good to try to answer for their mistakes, and trying to be personally responsible for their problems was more than I could bear.
This was when I came up with the term, "divorcing your children." At some point every parent needs to stop feeling personally responsible for every decision each child makes. Some sort of separation has to take place. The parent eventually needs to learn that whatever they had done to teach and train up that child would have to suffice. Yes we continue to feel the need to counsel our children, but we can no longer take personal responsibility for every action they take. And some of them take some pretty stupid actions. I don't know why they do that, because no one in my generation did such things ...
Anyway, the children grew up and started to have children. They made the same types of mistakes I made at their age, and I can counsel, but can't allow myself to own their problems. That is hard to do. I so want them to make better choices and be happier because they bipassed my old mistakes. I'm not so encouraged when I see some of my children making mistakes that I never dreamed of making. All I can think of to say is, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." But what can you do but continue to love them and try to help them find their way out of the results of their own actions, knowing that many of those results will haunt them for decades and generations to come.
Finally, the grandchildren start to grow up and start to marry, and the process starts all over again. Where am I now? I am on the outside. The great grandparent becomes an almost silent witness to the results of our parenting methods, those of our children, and those of their children. No longer could I even possibly take responsibility for all those people and their personal decisions. Now I have to watch as my posterity moves on without me. My family has hit critical mass, it carries on without my help and continues to grow. As the once great and all important person, I have progressed to partner, parent, family patriarch, and then faded into a person that little children know only by old photographs and family stories. But I watch, and I see. As a couple we see our traits, habits, issues, and strengths being passed from one generation down to another, mixing with other families along the way. Part of us will always be in them, though our time has come and gone. We have lead, directed, prayed for, blessed, and nurtured our family the only way we knew how at the time. Would we do it differently if we had the chance to do it again? I certainly hope so. If I didn't do it differently then what have I really learned from the experience?
Friday, October 22, 2010
I got to thinking about the notion that sometimes things just happen. They don't seem to have any rhyme or reason, they just happen. Some say that there is no such thing as a coincidence. That may be, but I question it.
I firmly believe that the good Lord knows everything before it happens. If that is true, then is it a coincidence when something happens to us? Just because he knows about it before hand, it doesn't change the nature of the event. To us it is a coincidence. But this is the wonder of it. Because he knows even the happenstances that will befall us, he is able to steer events to give us boosts or blessings or trials and tribulations, whatever we need most at the moment. We need to remember that He knows why we are here better than we do. He knows what will give us the perfect opportunities to grow and learn more about Him and about ourselves.
So does He just let things "happen"? Sometimes I think so. But knowing his perfect love for us, no matter what it is that happens to us, it is always for our own good, even when it hurts.
I firmly believe that the good Lord knows everything before it happens. If that is true, then is it a coincidence when something happens to us? Just because he knows about it before hand, it doesn't change the nature of the event. To us it is a coincidence. But this is the wonder of it. Because he knows even the happenstances that will befall us, he is able to steer events to give us boosts or blessings or trials and tribulations, whatever we need most at the moment. We need to remember that He knows why we are here better than we do. He knows what will give us the perfect opportunities to grow and learn more about Him and about ourselves.
So does He just let things "happen"? Sometimes I think so. But knowing his perfect love for us, no matter what it is that happens to us, it is always for our own good, even when it hurts.
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