Dear Spiritual Family,
Hello. Please complete this sentence: “I’ll be happy when____________” or “I’ll be okay when_____________.” You, of course, get the idea.
Please take a few minutes to reflect on this. For most of us, the list of things needed to be possessed or to happen or to see fall into place, to make us really happy, really okay, can be anywhere from long to very long.
And, of course, that’s okay too. It’s human nature as the saying goes. But we are on the spiritual path and are often reminded that the source of our happiness is not “out there.” A true state of happiness is actually available to each of us at all times. And yes, it is perhaps more difficult to remember this when we don’t feel well or when we’re upset for a variety of reasons, when there is the proverbial “too much month at the end of the money.” This is another list that can run very long.
The other day, I, Rev. Steve, was offering some counsel to one of my early teen grandchildren. We were discussing the power of will. I said, “Do you know that God’s will for you is perfect happiness?” He looked at me, understandably, as if I had three heads! We discussed this concept and after a while, I asked him to repeat it to me. He hesitated, but with a bit of coaching and still with a bit of disbelief said, “God’s will for me is perfect happiness.”
After a moment of that statement having time to sink in, he smiled a big smile. I shared with him that what God wills must be true. It must happen. And God only wills good for us – only the best; only the highest. He smiled and took a deep breath. I took one too.
What can happen in us when we cease looking for happiness outside of us – out in the world? Perhaps doing so, more and more, allows us the “space” to experience God’s will for us – for the “perfect happiness” Jesus speaks of in A Course in Miracles. And what can we do to cultivate this space?
The great Vietnamese Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh writes in his book, Going Home – Jesus and Buddha As Brothers: “One of the things I have learned from the teachings of the Buddha is that without understanding, love is not possible. If a husband and wife do not understand each other, they cannot love each other. If a father and son do not understand each other, they will make each other suffer. So understanding is the key that unlocks the door to love. Understanding is the process of looking deeply.”
“But Rev. Steve, I thought you were talking about true happiness. What is this about understanding and love?” You may ask. When we focus away from needing to fill a space inside to find happiness, the energy is freed up to seek to understand those in our lives – close and not so close. In our willingness to understand, “to look deeply” into their lives, we open ourselves to authentic love and happiness, joy and peace. We feel God’s will working in our lives and like my young friend, we smile!
We love you,
Rev. Steve and Mary
P.S. More on this in our video message for August 18.