Rev Bill's Meditation Garden

Love, as a Miracle

2007-10-12T11:52:00.000-04:00

Just for a few minutes, let us consider what a miracle it is that we find love in one another; a single person with whom we are glad and feel blessed to spend the rest of our lives.

Think upon this for just a moment. There are over six billion people in the world, and only one of each of us.

That’s a one in six billion chance of meeting the one.

Your average odds of winning a multi-million-dollar lotto is about 300 times better than that; at one in around 23 million or so. Your odds of being struck by lightening are twice as good as that, at about one in 14 million.

As for me, I’ll forego winning the lottery so as not to be struck by lightening the first time. :-) Oh, but love, that most powerful energy in the universe, is worth any price to keep, as unlikely as it seems to be had.

Yet, out of six billion people in the world, we are guided to the one with whom we fall in love and who falls in love with us; that one and particular person with whom love starts out strong and as it ages, becomes even stronger. On paper, the odds of finding that one might seem impossible, given how many of us have actually won a multi-million-dollar lotto or have actually been struck by lightening.

That, dear reader, is the miraculous and loving hand of the Holy Spirit at work. We are naturally graced with not only the longing for love, but the innate capability of loving. That is a miracle on top of a miracle.

Robin Williams once quipped that your soul-mate is the one who looks at your face and sees the one you think you still look like. No matter how lined and etched that face becomes with life and toil, no matter how crowned with grey, that face is the one that even years later you look at and it makes you think, “Uh HUH! That’s my baby.” Such is the quality of love, that it sees little of the physical, but can actually glimpse the soul of another when one's own soul is laid bare in trust.

True and abiding love, based on trust and a complete nakedness of the soul is without a doubt the reflection of a loving Creator who loves and trusts us just as completely. No guile, no deception, no domination; it is the mere whisper of "I'm here; My heart is always with yours. There is nothing you need fear."

Today, go to the one you love -- that one who loves you just as much -- and give them a hug. As you do, thank the gracious Creator for beating all the odds.

Some One watches because some One loves me

2007-09-05T13:10:00.000-04:00

In whatever work that you do, you should say to yourself at every moment: "If God looks at me, what does [God] see?" Then see how you answer yourself. If you condemn yourself, leave immediately. Stop the work that you were doing and take up something else in order to be sure to reach your destination. For it is necessary that the traveler be always ready to continue on the journey.

- Sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers

Quoted in Essential Monastic Wisdom: Writings on the Contemplative Life by Hugh Feiss.

No matter what we're going through, no matter what we're doing, the Creator is always by our side. There isn't a moment that we're not loved -- no, not even one. Let us strive to make the One who loves us most proud by doing the quiet, loving things we should. It doesn't matter if anyone else notices -- you and G'd will know the difference you've made by putting something positive into Creation.

Our treasures in the afterlife are made of the only things we can carry across from this life to the next one: the memories we make. The more sweet ones we make, the lighter the load of treasures will be to take across the Rainbow Bridge.

Be Well; be at peace; you are loved just as you are.

Everything I Know about Love, I Learned from a Little Dog

2007-08-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

I have five very special someones to thank for this column. Two have crossed the Rainbow Bridge and I'm very blessed to have three with me. Though four of them don't speak in human words, the lessons they've all given me through quiet and patient leadership by example I may never be able to pay back. Perhaps, in some way, I can "pay forward" by passing on what they've given me.

Love is loyal. No matter how many times the ball is thrown, I'll always come back; with or without it.

Love listens intently, even if the listener doesn't understand every word. Trust the heart to translate.

Hands are for petting and saying "I'm here, still loving you."

Love speaks with a completely honest heart and from the best motives.

Wet kisses and warm snuggles always lighten the saddest heart.

No one needs to pray or cry alone if your best buddy is close.

Take some time to chase butterflies, even if you don't catch any. The pleasure is in doing something a little silly and a lot of fun together.

Ice cream tastes better when shared. One bowl, two spoons, please!

Some say it best by saying nothing at all. One loving "lean" is worth a mouthful of "I love you's". Humans squeeze hands -- it's the same thing.

Being a willing listener is likely to get you hugged.

Love is for always. If someone has ever loved you, you will always have that moment with you. These moments are the only thing we can take across the Rainbow Bridge with us. The more you have, the lighter they all seem.

The one who waits patiently for you to arrive deserves lots of kisses. Kisses are easy to make and there are always more to give away.

Someone misses you every time they don't see you, even if you're just in the next room.

Joyous greetings are always in order when your love returns, even if you've only been apart for a little while.

Petting the fur-kid does just as much good for the human doing the petting.

Saturday afternoon naps with your best friend refresh the body and restore the soul. G'd doesn't mind a bit of slacking, when it's in the name of love and friendship.

If you lead with love, those who love will follow you to the end of the earth -- and jump off if you do. If you try to shove from behind with fear and domination, you will be avoided and left unloved. Nobody loves a bully. Even wolves and little dogs know this; humans are still catching up.

In the arms of one who loves you is the safest place in the world.

Happy sighs say it all. Puppysize say even more.

In memory of Sally

2007-08-24T13:28:00.000-04:00

Today brought the sad news that the longtime companion of someone I consider to be a friend, ally and partner for peace, made her transition over the Rainbow Bridge. Sally, a dalmation, nearly made it to a venerable age of 16; quite elderly for her kind.

It's difficult to lose a human family member; even moreso with a four-legged companion or "fur-kid". They don't use our language, but we learn to communicate with one another through the eyes and from the soul out. The effort -- and the rewards in loyal friendship -- exact such a toll for their loss that it seems there is often little comfort to be found. Each companion is a singular gift from a G'd who loves us so much, that He would craft such pure and beautiful friendship to put into our lives.

But it is because of this gift of selfless love, to have had it and to have appreciated it, that we can eventually find the strength and resolve to go on; to continue being the best friends we can to one another in appreciation for that love. Such is the truest reflection of the love our Creator has for us.

Susan and Charlie, no one cries or prays alone in my presence. My faith comforts me that Sally will be sunning in soft, green grass just on the other side of The Bridge, accepting treats and nice scratches from those who've gone before us. You are people of faith as well, and I know that the Creator is just by your side. May The Greater send you comfort, for you are loved by many.

Willow Lore and Legends

2007-08-23T12:42:00.000-04:00

Here are a few enjoyable sites that have stories about willows and willow legends. You see, the willow is a special tree to me; one that speaks of strength, flexibility, strong roots and wisdom. Good marriages are made of the same elements: strength to keep your love going through difficulties; flexibility to bend with and adapt to change; and strong roots in faith in one another and faith in The Greater. Wisdom will come of itself from the other three.

The bark of the willow is Good Medicine: it is used to bring down fevers and alleviate pain. The roots are especially aggressive so willows can make themselves useful in places where damp soil needs to be stabilized. The trunk is strong and stout, but in most varieties, the branches are flexible and wind-hardy. Several species yield wood that is used to make strong, long-lasting basketry.

And, like true love, willows are beautiful to behold. Weeping willows provide riverside shade and stabilize the banks; they’re also prodigious consumers of CO₂ and producers of oxygen. They respire a good deal of water, so it’s pleasantly cool where they’re gathered; sitting beneath one of these grandfathers on a hot summer’s day is a wonderful way to rejuvenate. Pussywillows show off beautiful little catkins, soft and beautiful in their own way. Curly willows colonize thickets and provide homes for wildlife.

Here are a few links you might enjoy, just for fun.

The White Willow

The Legend of the Willow Pattern

The Power of the Willow Tree

Osage Lesson of the Willow

8/22

2007-08-22T11:49:00.000-04:00

Beloved Spirit,

Today You brought another couple into my life. How sweet is young love; the kind that shines brightly now and will in time develop its own beautiful patina, painted by Your hand. Of all the gifts You bestow on us, love is the most powerful and most patient. By living our lives as vessels of Your loving spirit, we get a taste of what life in Your Presence will be.

I often imagine, Dear Parent, what that will be like. For now, we're imperfect and we perceive imperfectly; but that imperfection is all in Your perfect design. For now, we struggle and strive, often depriving ourselves of the free, gracious and bountiful love You give to us. But that love always brings us back around to You; the still, small voice that assures us that You are always there, ready to heal. Some day, we'll be ever whole, for that was Your promise.

Today, I give thanks especially for that. Though earthly life can be chaotic -- sometimes even hurtful -- I know that there will always be peace in You.

In humble gratitude,
Amen.

Tuesday 8/21

2007-08-21T11:44:00.000-04:00

Beloved Creator,

Again today we awoke with life and breath, to fulfill Your divine purpose. Today, we still have a chance to love, to forgive, to understand -- and to be loved and forgiven. May we use this chance well, for we know that while the gift of "today" has been granted and gratefully accepted, "tomorrow" has not been promised.

For those whose yesterday did not bring a "today", we entrust them into Your loving care. For those whose today may bring great joy, we give You thanks. For those whose today has brought more suffering than they think they can bear, we ask you to fill them with Your strength, love and resolve. Send them Your assistance, even if it is only the touch of a fellow human that lets them know that You are with them and will bear them up over the crevasses of hunger, uncertainty, or fear.

Your love is for always and ever,

Amen

Monday 8/20/2007

2007-08-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

O Perfect Love,

"all human tho't transcending"... these beautiful words from the hymn give us pause to consider that we are created from, lovingly crafted by, and set upon this earth by a Creator who really cares about us. Set upon fertile soil and blanketed by a sky that presents tapestries of beauty in the sunrise and sunset, we have much for which to be thankful -- starting with just being alive and aware of Something Greater.

Though life can throw unimaginable challenges -- earthquakes, hurricanes, or even the loss of a loved one -- we can always find strength in the beauty that remains; only if we care to reach for More.

Today, if life seems right and gentle, take a moment to "charge your batteries". Count how many colors you can find in the sunset tonight. Notice a brightly-colored bird you haven't seen before in your back yard. Say "thank you" or "please" to a stranger who does you a sudden small kindness.

If your world has turned suddenly upside down today, find your breath and strength again by appreciating what you still have left. Perhaps today brings an unusually blue sky, or the stars seem to shine with peace and hope. The Great One will always throw us a "life preserver" in these simple, yet exquisitely beautiful treasures. May your pains be assuaged and your strength return by appreciating the small, yet priceless treasures right at your own front door.

Today, my petition is for those who have met sudden Transition in the earthquakes in Peru, the miners trapped in Utah, and for those everywhere living with displacement or genocide. I have faith that one day, humanity will realize the beauty it contains within, placed there by the Creator, just bursting to find its expression in the world. Truth always wins; Love always wins. These may be the most difficult paths to follow, but, narrow and rocky paths as they may be, they will lead us to the Hereafter with treasures in hand.

What treasures might those be? The one and only thing one can take from this side of the Rainbow Bridge to the other, whole and intact, are our memories. Polaroid snapshots, engraved on the heart and mind, to be examined and fingered as we do on life.

What kind of memories do you wish to take with you? Ones of smiles from our children? The touch of a grandparent's gentle hand? Of feeding by your own hand someone who was starving?

These are free and you can take as many as you like, right here, right now; treasures you can carry to give you a smile through the hard times or to rejoice in when the sailing is smooth.

May the memories we make today be our treasures in Heaven.

Blessed Be,

Amen

Thursday 8/16/2007

2007-08-16T09:58:00.000-04:00

Beloved Creator,

Thank You, for You have carried us through another night to greet a day of possibilities. Regardless of what may have befallen us, You are still with us. Though the earth may quake, the skies may pour torrents, lightening may strike, You always have us under Your loving and mighty arm. For this day, we have life to feel Your sun above and Your solid Mother Earth beneath. That is a miracle and a blessing we appreciate and with Your help and guidance, we will make good use of these gifts You so freely gave.

For the strength to draw another breath, for comfort when we feel we can't go on, You are always there, if we but listen for the still, small Voice that will lead.

We give thanks for the loved ones You've blessed us with. Your love is reflected through them and we will strive to honor You by honoring their love.

For loved ones we have lost during the night, we will keep faith in Your word that we will see them again when it comes our time to cross that Rainbow Bridge.

In all things, help us find the balance, to keep our feet on the Good Road.

We love You, for You first loved us.

Amen.

Wednesday, 8/15/2007

2007-08-15T08:29:00.000-04:00

Beloved Spirit,

Today we have life. We have love because You are with us. You have given us one another to honor and care for and You have given us a beautiful planet to call home. We are nurtured by her soil and warmed by the sun above. Your creations are beyond compare.

For these, are we most grateful. Remain with us to give us the wisdom and strength to be good stewards of Your many blessings.

For those living in hunger or in fear or loneliness, shower Your love and mercy on them. This life will be over soon, but life in Your presence will be for always. We ask for Your peace and the wisdom to live it so that none will have to live in fear or hunger again. You made us strong and intelligent, but we so often lack the wisdom to employ these gifts. We are grateful for Your patience as we learn to fulfill the greatness You placed within us.

We ask that You would protect our service men and women from harm and to bring them home quickly and safely. For all those in danger and in need of Your guidance and strength, we pray that You will come quickly to their aid.

In gratitude for Your blessings and in humble petition, we pray.

Amen

Prayer for Tuesday, 8/14/07

2007-08-14T08:43:00.001-04:00

Beloved Creator,

You have given us the beauty of the skies, sunsets over Blue Ridge mountains, the example of the trees who reach toward You in prayer and reverence. Most of all, you have given us each other to love and cherish, to honor as a reflection of Your love for us.

Just for today, help us lay our acquired burdens down; to choose a path of contemplation and peace; to love each of Your creations in its own suchness. Remind us to be grateful for what we do have, that we are filled with Your potential and we can become as great in Your sight as we have the courage to be. Help us to love ourselves so that we may in fullness love one another.

We ask that you shower Your love and mercy upon those who are living in fear and oppression. For those who are displaced and longing for a home, those who are hungering either in body and spirit; may these, the least in the sight of man, be sheltered, filled and raised greatest in Your sight.

For Your love extends to all,

Amen