I knew a person once who lamented I wished I had your faith but can not live my life unless in total control. Bumps, Bruises, Heartache And Suffering Happens In An Imperfect World.
Control is boring, tiresome, makes you bone weary. Just like external happiness where you plan an event down to the finest detail. And announce, hand out everyone’s role in the elaborate production. Lacking flexibility to adjust to variables that come up. And not considerating that friends, family and people around you don’t belong to some kind of union who’s by laws demand they play along. No matter how well intentioned or glorious the final outcome you picture in your head will be you think for their own good. Others don’t always share your vision, goals, are not in the same dream.
Driving your life 10 and 2 does not take in to account approaching potholes, other drivers you may bump and hurt.
Crouched low in your bumper car of life where it is a always good idea to keep your arms and hands inside that fast moving, direction spinning hard rubber ring protected vehicle.
When you and I try to drive through our day to day, if our thoughts, actions are not pure, thought through with a sincere WWJD attitude, mistakes are made.
Lots of them. Then frustration and depression can happen as trying to fix the situation makes it worse. And hopefully you know someone for more than one 55 minute session on an open Maine home porch to help sort it all out. While getting back on your knees, praying incessantly about the problem area for answers and solutions.
It is times like these where your 10 and 2 Christian life can suddenly require frequent stopping. Letting go of the steering wheel. God and others asked to take over, drive, for help and forgiveness when looking for life’s directions. Because you can become hopelessly lost. But like lost kids, we don’t blame ourselves for becoming that way. Mistakes made with good intentions.
We often miss the bigger picture. Are being tested in new ways to grow deeper, less narrow and to learn more patience, greater understanding as we grow up and figure out one by one some of life’s mysteries. Our faith is leaned on heavier. We have to labor, work harder to capture our thoughts and wait for the next step. And just live in today.
We are an impatient, imperfect society wanting drive through quick results. But flipping out because one small fry is missing in your order that you discover many miles down the Interstate does not warrant turning around to go back and give someone a piece of your mind. Using your own skills to easily derive the pathway around an obstacle, those potholes is a life long struggle. For the journey to get headed for the stretch of easier straight away out there to enjoy.
Let go of the wheel because life is not an easy straight away.
With a single dotted line where you can always pull out and pass. Obey the law, go the speed limit, sometimes pull over in to the breakdown lane. Release your hands, bow your head on the wheel. And ask for help, guidance, direction from God.
When you cry out for specific attention to a problem, watch out, put the top up because a hail storm will happen. But during that being parked, everything else in your life but that area needing emergency room attention will be pulled aside during the operation. For 20 20 focus with full crystal clear clarity in your head and heart. Exposed to the direct sunlight, open to the fresh air. To have you realize here’s your problem, the cause of your stumble.
Surrender, suffering is where you learn the most.
Because you are on the ground, looking up and can hear, see the best. But you don’t have to stay there. Pray about it incessantly. If you acknowledge the sin, go to the people you hurt, ask for forgiveness without explanation, rationale, but pure love and real sorrow, that is a start. Then remembering the pain you caused others but regardless of whether they extend forgiveness or not for the offense(s), you don’t have to flog yourself, stay in the ditch. Reconciliation, atonement is the next step in the long process of healing. But sure beats a band aid on a gunshot wound and expecting a quick complete recovery.
You can pick yourself up, find the value in other areas of your life where you do get high marks, shine. Everyone has value, more than a few good points but in many areas you and I come up short. Welcome to the club. That is why we need other people to come along side. For a hug, prayers, friendship. So we can be there for them too when the situation arises.
We all make a mess of the precious life we try to lead and hurt the ones we love the most in the process.
And hurt people hurt people the hardest. Stop the cycle, let go of the wheel, understand and pray about the situations that trouble you most. That keep you strait jacketed. And missing out of life’s rich goodness that we all need to be grateful for every minute of every day. And go easy on your parents, instead of blame rethink the good, bad and the ugly they carried, passed on to you and me.
Release the burden, take inventory of the baggage and lighten the load you carry to experience peace. Let go and let God is not just an expression used at weekly AA meetings. Easy does it, moderation and giving way for a higher power, all knowing God is actually easier in the long run. It means not needing control and trusting God to drive the car, not you. He is your GPS, your speed control, radar detector for approaching pot holes and other life road hazards.
Maine is not overcrowded with wall to wall population.
The Day Ends The Way Your Thoughts Allow| Enjoy More Maine Sunsets. We are a people not simple minded but trying to live a simple uncomplicated existence. In Southern portions of Vacationland, the area density is 44 people per mile. In Northern Maine where I hail from, that same square 208′ by 208′ of land has an eleven souls populating it on average.
Outdoor natural four season events means filling your lungs with fresh air. A serious work out through your legs, hands, core with work on the farm, in the woods. Or just when having fun with a variety of no or low cost recreational options. So how does this tie in to the Me In Maine blog post title? The one that got you in here, looking for insight? Lots.
We love to know we are not alone.
It is a basic tenement of relationships. Lonely is a soul without a mate. And in Maine, with just a tad over a million people in the entire Pine Tree state, we need each other more. Reaching out, learning how to appreciate others. And working hard inside to offer forgiveness when rubbed the wrong way. Being grateful for the unspoiled drop dead gorgeous surroundings that we enjoy year round. Not just one week a year with a trip to Vacationland for a lobster, munching on fresh blueberry pie. To see a Maine moose, lighthouse or whale. To hike Mt Katahdin or Cadillac Mountain.
When you are happy, which is an inside job, starting with you, it makes less stress on whatever is happening outside, in your surroundings.
If where you live is less populated, lacking crime, traffic, noise, hub bub or high costs to live there, score one for the happiness platform to build on. As you count your blessings morning, noon and night. My Mom taught me loud and clear that “gratitude is riches”. And all about rolling up your sleeves to combat “stinking thinking”.
It is easy to build up, hold resentment for others that make mistakes. Or that are just being a work in progress that you stumble in to, or over. Who we need forgiveness extended back and forth to grow, mature. Because we screw up the same way in reverse. Anyone that does not think they do, and is waiting for the rest of the heathens to catch up needs to be humbled. And will be. Often until they learn, accept that their lofty ideals they hold others’ “feet to the fire” to apply to them too. God leads people into our lives. One forgives to the degree that one loves is to be remembered on a daily, hourly, minute by minute basis.
Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, and the waste of spirit I was taught growing up.
I know the concept but it does not mean I will have the skills to do it on a regular basis with flawless proficiency. Because I am far from and never will be perfect. In anyone’s eyes, including my own. But acceptance of your inventory of where you need work, blended with where you do shine and have life merit badges to prove it means day to day dedication.
Your expectations that the other person apologize or change taints the forgiveness process severely. It is a band aid on a gunshot would. Fooling yourself merry go round exercise. Stripping away self importance, filling up with a healthy dose of humility happens when you accept the people and situations that bother you the most. In its own way and time, life feeds back the truth so your perspective can change if you stay flexible. Open minded. Which all ties in to another of my Mom’s teachings, scripture quote reached for often, leaned on heavily. “Know the truth and it shall set you free”. Travel lighter. Lighten your load.
It is far cheaper to pardon than resent.
And forgiveness, fully extended to others because until you do it holds you a deep dark prison captive. Handcuffed to the person, situation, event with shackles of sharp barbed wire that cut like black shards of jagged, uneven glass. Anger, pain, hurt rob your energy. Can keep you from true love, peace and understanding. Drop it, don’t hold on to it.
Forgetfullness is a dear friend, close companion of forgiveness too. Or should be. Because to say you forgive without forgetting means you have not forgiven. We all have hurts, what I call purple spots on our hearts from life’s sudden shifts, setbacks, reversals. But you don’t sort through, remove or understand the why without a close friend, a lover, a mate who helps define you. And you them. It’s a journey meant to be on holding hands.
Maine, you can learn so much about yourself, life climbing, hiking up one of our mountains. Looking out over from the top to enjoy the view and gain perspective of the bigger picture. And then skiing down the other side of that hill top to begin again. Only to return for the natural healing Maine’s unspoiled, wide open setting can provide like no other spot on Earth.
