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Dear TSJ Friends,
What do you do when you lose power and the lights go out after dark?
What are your first thoughts and feelings?
A loss of power may be from an electrical overload that trips a circuit breaker to fallen power lines due to storms or accidents.
Either way, lights suddenly going out are disorienting. Especially in the dark. We don’t like feeling disoriented, insecure, uncertain.
I was reminded of this on Thanksgiving Eve. We were with my sister’s family and had just gathered around the living room ready to watch a movie on the television. We were happily chatting together, snuggled under our lap blankets on the couches. An ideal scene.
Just as we all settled down the lights went out. No warning. Just darkness.
At first we stayed put and kept talking – although we truly could not see each other. We reacted in a mild state of disbelief at first. We thought the power might come right back on. It didn’t. So it was prudent to call the electrical company and report it. The recording said it would be about three hours. That would be 11:00 pm and past Mr. John’s and my bedtime! Solomon (the TSJ muse) whispered words of wisdom, “Take it as permission to go to bed.” After all we had experienced a rainy drive there, and partly in the dark.
Yes, darkness disorients us, especially when it arrives in a split second. Nothing feels the same.
My sister and her husband got up and found lights for each of us and we had everything we needed to stay warm. We were fortunate. Not everyone was. It had been caused by an accident that struck a pole..
On our way to the guest room I observed again that a small light makes a huge difference in total darkness. Light helps us find our bearings.
Are we not to be that small light for one another’s dark times in the world?
The power outage seemed to remind me – to remind you – that a power failure is not unlike our soul’s journey. When things go dark in our hearts and minds we get spiritually disoriented.
As a life coach, I work to remind us of what we already know and encourage us to reflect on the positive potential for good hidden in all our life experiences. As we triumph over troubles we can spread love and light in the dark corners of our world. We move through a loss of our bearings to a confidence in our resourcefulness and faith.
Gentle Reminders:
** We all experience “dark night of the soul.” Even now many of you have been – or are currently finding – your way through dark times.
** Science tell us we need light to be psychologically healthy. And spiritually speaking we know “The darkness of the soul is no less spiritually punishing than is the loss of physical light to the psyche.” (Joan Chittister quoted in recent blog by Richard Rohr)
** Chasing happiness, success and perfection are often the underlying cause of our overload.
** We forget that chasing such things is way too much like chasing a butterfly. We find our soul-self by letting go of the chase and listening for the voice of God in what author Joel Goldsmith has called “The Thunder of Silence.”
These days, we are literally awash with great stories, literature, podcasts, blogs, support groups, seminars, retreats and worship opportunities as we search for relevance and meaning on this journey. We need even more than ever to be self-aware and cautious about where we place our attention. We are swimming in worldly distractions and drowning in information.
Encouragement/ Wisdom:
Spend a few moments of quietness each day and seek God only. You will find that over time you will fall in love with His Presence in you – way down deep in the sanctuary of your own heart and soul. And then as it has been said many times before . . . and only when we allow this to happen . . . our inner peace emerges and we quietly look down and see the butterfly has gently glided our way and landed on our shoulder.
I must admit I have been refining one of my “Atomic Habits” (from the James Clear book). It is a tiny action that promises accumulated reward for my well being. I sit a few moments practicing the “Sip-It-And Zip-it” (Margie method for soulful listening). I highly recommend you find your own way to be still even for ten minutes a day.
We all seek happiness and peace but chasing it does not work. It is found only when we stop the chase and turn toward The Shepherd.
This morning I read this encouragement in Psalm16:11 (NRV).
“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forever more.”
Happy Shepherding! Feel free to email me with your thoughts or request for coaching and encouragement by phone or in person!
Margie
