"Lord, make me a channel of thy peace—that where there is hatred, I may bring love—that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness—that where there is discord, I may bring harmony—that where there is error, I may bring truth—that where there is doubt, I may bring faith—that where there is despair, I may bring hope—that where there are shadows, I may bring light—that where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted—to understand, than to be understood—to love, than to be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to Eternal Life. Amen."
-Saint Francis of Assisi Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions page 99
I began this day unlike more recent days; Morning affirmations by@ Deb Erickson, @Deva Premal's Dakshina as I mindfully made my morning tea, tidied the kitchen, such that my sense of order was restored. I repaired a storage bag in the effort to get my drawing art area in my living room ready for the gift of art that the Most High has given me to do. It is the reason that I breathe.
When I viewed my final paycheck I had to calm down the lack thinking, a fear genie that likes to show up when I am not working and regular cash flow stops. I made an effort to get the thoughts out of my head, to not stop me from moving forward in the days plans and tasks. Hence, I am writing a note to myself, to work out on the page so to speak. Then I will do my morning yoga and prepare to go out into the world.
I'm deeply grateful to have enough room to roll out the mat, a big enough TV to see the postures that @MundeleinMarlene Molay Brown's "Yoga a Gift to yourself" has for my sometimes tired, older bones and joints than I'd care to admit to do. It also helps to not regret the younger, vibrant body I had as a dancer and all of the supple and lovely gifts of a body in their 20's and 30's, rats, even in my 40's could do. And to not regret how I "wasted those gifts' and yet I know I did not.
It is the gentle loving acceptance of this body, these joints and loving them as they are in their current wholeness. I am fortunate that I had that well toned, sleek and agile body, It is the foundation of what I have to work with, BE with now. And it is in pretty good shape for a 59 year old babe. I have to honor that too.
Yet strangely enough I feel acceptance for what is the current state of greenbacks and loving forward motion to just be with what I have. I am honored by my friends and family to be the loving aunt, sister, friend. That does not mean that all is "well" Rent is due, phone cable/internet, car note, the stuff of living in the 21st century. But I do not need to fear. I have an unshakeable belief that "all will be well, in all manner of things will be well" (Hildegard of Bingen, a consistent spiritual friend of mine)
And so it goes. Gratitude for having the modern means of writing, though I love pen and ink, and fine paper to write upon. It is the gratitude of stopping and taking the time to get these thoughts on the page. It is an abundance of Love that keeps me going each day. Blessed Be and blessings on your day. More is always revealed, we just have to keep our eyes on the prize.
