Sometimes in my morning readings I come across quotes or thoughts which impact me. The minute I hear the statement or thread of thought an entire cascade of thoughts follow. It's as if my mind was a large set of dominos and the first one falls and all the rest follow.
Today I read "No one is useless to the world who lightens the burden of another. The quote is from Charles Dickens. It points out something that we often forget.
The ego can take us so quickly into our rabbit holes. It circles likea Class F5 tornado. In the 1930's a man named Ted Fujita put together a scale on the intensity of a tornado based on wind speed and damage incurred. Eventually other factors were added and it was called the enhanced Fujita scale. Thus our ego can take us internally to a place with lots of chaos wind and our mind has a melt down of damage. This takes us away from spirit and from reality.
It is from this place that depression shows up and suddenly there is no urge to participate. Soon it is an effort to do nothing other than to sleep for hours and hours. I have had a couple bouts of this in my life. I did not recognize the place as depression. In both cases it was friends who noticed and eventually did an intervention.
The second time I was working with the workshop program around the teachings of Adler called UYO. I was in the midst of isolating my self and doing nothing. One weekend there was a workshop that started on Friday night. I was at home in full sleep mode. On Saturday, there was a facilitator and a teacher from the program knocking at my door. They sat down with me and explained that the entire program workshop of the weekend had taken a vote. They were there to pick me up to participate as a student - and I had no say in the choice. It didn't ake long before I was in the midst of emotions and off I went.
The Dicken's quote is the reality of life. Whenever we come to a place of depression or when we are heavily involved with our ego side of life the quote applies.
Thus is born a concept that is always true. When ego treatens to carry us away to a land of self serving approach, it is time to do something for someone else. As a minister, I have found myself more and more doing things for others. The more I do, the more I am able to be involved in the Buddhist observer philsophy and bring balance and calmness to the chaos - even when self-generated.
I have a number of friends and relatives who live their lifes in this way. They are here on Earth to serve; it is almost like they walk the planet in the full glow of spirit.
So knowing this, it gives us incentive to fulfill the image of God and how we are made. It is time for you to check in and see how you are doing in the service of others.
One of my friends volunteers once a week at the local hospital. He reports and for an hour or two he sits holding premature babies. It provides them with touch and calmness. It is the perfect spiritual relationship.
So what is your service? You may still be looking for it or you may already be in a long term way of serving. Find your spiritual serving and get started or continue. God bless you for the special way you show up.............
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