Hello Faithful TSJ Readers,
Life is on the move!
I imagine most of you are appreciating what is behind you (harried pace of holidays) and anticipating what is before you (a new year and its unknowns and potentials).
There are many things I want to share with you who have faithfully journeyed with us here at TSJ headquarters through this year without “Mr. Tom.” I guess it will take blogs and blogs to do that! Just ask Solomon. He is waiting patiently to share some things too. So stay tuned!
Life’s successes and stressors are always a call for pondering, This year has been a wild ride of lessons that include sorrow and joy.
As you can see from the picture…the word move is on my mind! Moving for me right now includes many angles- ranging from the angst of details and not knowing “where anything is anymore” (both literally and figuratively) to inner peace and definite forward movement of the heart and mind. So grab your “cuppa” as we contemplate all about movement, momentum and actual moving . . .
Movement- The inner process of moving through
If you speak with anyone who has lost someone near and dear to them they cringe when they hear people imply or actually say that it is time for him or her to “move on.”
It implies there is a time limit for processing human emotions and spiritual lessons that must by their very nature be gained through experience. In one sense it is true that we move on because there is a time limit on everything from the human perspective. Including this very moment!
But I think of it as . . . life is on the move! And we want to say “yes” to life! Sometimes that is the hard part. People are on the move. The very nature of creation is movement, so the whole universe is on the move. Even the cells in our body are constantly on the move to keep us healthy.
But when you are suffering a loss of any kind or a challenge that seems insurmountable, “moving on” feels mysteriously disrespectful of the process of learning and growing.
The idea of “moving on” feels different from “on the move” which sounds natural and active. “Moving on” feels uncomfortable and rushed and threatens to leave a part of you behind rather than all of you finding your way into the richness of life’s potential. Even the words “moving on” scratch at the tender skin of your psyche like a tag on your shirt irritates your neck.
So how does one handle this whole idea of saying “yes” to life in spite of what life is offering at the moment?
What is helping me is realizing it isn’t so much about “moving on” as it is about “moving through.”
We move through the tough moments. Through the dark valleys. Through the fog and confusion of mixed emotions. Through the pain. And in so doing we move forward – one step at a time into the future. Think of it as stepping into the future. Each step provides the momentum for forward movement and new discoveries!
Momentum – Two keys for momentum
But how do we say yes to life on the move when sometimes it feels like life has stood still for us? How do we move through tough times in a curious way so we can turn heart aches and hurts into happiness and triumphs? How do we remain open to new ways of experiencing life? Perhaps you noticed the word curious?
The first key is Curiosity.
Curiosity helps put pieces of life together to create our visions and dreams of a better us and a better world.
Rather than asking, “What if?” in an anxious, worried way, what if we ask “What if?” in a curious and creative way? Curiosity and wonder are useful tools for turning troubles into triumphs!
Curiosity gives us momentum to create new perspectives and open the gate of hope and happiness.
There is another invisible and powerful key to opening ourselves up to what this moment is offering us. Again, for me it means embracing joy or enduring pain with equal vigor for learning the lessons within the current experience.
The second key is Thankfulness!
Gratitude has a mysterious power of helping us breathe in the goodness of life and is a potent salve for the soul.
Honestly, it helps to find something, even just one thing in order to form the words “thank you” under your breath and in your stress.
This is easy to do when you are happy. It is essential to do when you are in knots. It loosens the grip of the knot of pain and anxiety and allows life to flow much more smoothly. It gives oxygen to your cells and your soul.
MOVING!
And TSJ is on the move. Literally!!
In fact, we are moving (if all goes as planned) within the next few days. Everything I have shared above and much more come from the trenches of facing my own inclinations to worry and get stuck in various levels of fear.
Solomon has been talking to SJ a lot as he is once again seeing boxes piling up in our temporary headquarters and has not yet even seen our new headquarters. SJ keeps fretting, “Will there be room for us, Solomon?”
SJ frets and worries easily. Hmm.
Solomon reminded him that Mr. Tom always patted them on the head and kept them in Ms. Margie’s sight- especially on Wednesdays and he left her instructions of various kinds, all of which she has honored. He told her not to leave them out in her work. So “no worries – there will be a place for us too.”
SJ frets and Solomon simply practices the Presence of God from a place of trust. And Solomon is always always filled with awe and gratitude for Chief Shepherd.
We will keep you posted (literally).
Happy New Year!
Margie and her inner muses- Solomon, SJ and Lovey the Lamb
