Everything is in Divine Order

We can only see so much from where we sit in our particular bodies, in the midst of our particular lives, rooted as we are in the continuum of space and time. The divine, on the other hand, is not limited to the constructs of either space or time, and its wisdom and workings often elude us as we try to make sense of what is happening in our lives. This is why things are not always what they seem to be and even the best-laid plans are sometimes overturned. Even when we feel we have been guided by our intuition every step of the way, we may find ourselves facing unexpected loss and disappointment. At times like these, we can find some solace in trusting that no matter how bad or just plain inexplicable things look from our perspective, they are, in fact, in divine order.

Even as we take our places in this earthly realm, a part of us remains completely free of the confines we face here. Regardless of what is happening in our lives, this part of us remains infused with joy and gratitude, connected to the unbroken source from which we come. Our small self, on the other hand, who is caught up in our false identity as a being limited in space and time, regards happiness as the result of things going the way it wants them to go. It is this part of us that suffers the greatest confusion and upset when the logic of events does not compute. And it is to this self that we must extend unconditional love, forgiveness, and compassion. In order to do this, we tap into our inner divinity, holding the space of a tender autEverythinhority, extending love and light to our ego as a mother extends her love to a troubled child.

There are many ways to access our inner divinity—meditation, prayer, chanting, channeling, and conscious breathing, to name a few. It is helpful to develop a regular practice that provides us access to this all-powerful, healing presence, as it can be difficult to reach once we are in a stressful position, if we have not already established a connection. The more connected we are with this part of ourselves, the more we share its unlimited vision and the secure, knowing that all the things of our life, no matter how they appear, are in a state of divine and perfect order.

Lifting Pain's Veil

Bitter feelings allow us to become perfect victims in that we no longer feel obliged to work toward healing.

It is natural to feel resentment or anger when life does not unfold as expected. We consciously or unconsciously anticipated one experience, and we grieve for the loss of it when the universe puts something else in our path. Most of the time, we work through these feelings and they pass. Occasionally, our anger and resentment do not fade and are instead transformed into bitterness. Bitter feelings allow us to become perfect victims in that we no longer feel obliged to work toward healing and choose instead to identify with our pain. Yet as unwholesome as bitterness can be, it is also a natural element of our emotional palette. When we acknowledge that it is okay to feel bitter, we reconnect with our hurt in a constructive way and can begin the process of working through it.

The nature of bitterness is rooted in the fact that the pain we feel provides us with a rationale. We may feel that we deserve to embrace our bitterness to its full extent. And to be bitter is, in essence, to cut ourselves off from all that is positive, hardening our hearts and vowing never to let go of our hurt. But just as bitter feelings can be self-defeating, so too can the release of bitterness be life-affirming in a way that few other emotional experiences are. When we decide that we no longer want to be bitter, we are reborn into a world filled with delight and fulfillment unlike any we knew while in the clutches of bitterness. The veil it cast over our lives is lifted, letting light and warmth touch our souls.

Divesting yourself of bitter feelings can be as simple as truly forgiving and moving on. Even when your bitterness has no concrete object, you can forgive situations too. Healing pain can be challenging but may be easier if you remind yourself that you are the only entity truly affected by your emotional state. In time, you will discover that letting go of your bitterness frees you to initiate the healing process and allows you to once again celebrate the possibility of the more wonderful life you deserve.

 

Sharing Your Love & Light (You're Affect on Others)

 

As the pace and fullness of modern life serve to isolate us from one another, the contact we do share becomes vastly more significant. We unconsciously absorb each other's energy, adopting the temperament of those with whom we share close quarters, and find ourselves changed after the briefest encounters. Everything we do or say has the potential to affect not only the individuals we live, work, and play with but also those we've just met. Though we may never know the impact we have had or the scope of our influence, accepting and understanding that our attitudes and choices will affect others can help us remember to conduct ourselves with grace at all times. When we seek always to be friendly, helpful, and responsive, we effortlessly create an atmosphere around ourselves that is both uplifting and inspiring.

Most people rarely give thought to the effect they have had or will have on others. When we take a few moments to contemplate how our individual modes of being affect the people we spend time with each day, we come one step closer to seeing ourselves through the eyes of others. By asking ourselves whether those we encounter walk away feeling appreciated, respected, and liked, we can heighten our awareness of the effect we ultimately have. Something as simple as a smile given freely can temporarily brighten a person's entire world. Our value-driven conduct may inspire others to consider whether their own lives are reflective of their values. A word of advice can help others see life in an entirely new fashion. And small gestures of kindness can even prove to those embittered by the world that goodness still exists. By simply being ourselves, we influence other's lives in both subtle and life-altering ways.  

To ensure that the effect we have is positive, we must strive to stay true to ourselves while realizing that it is the demeanor we project and not the quality of our wondrous inner landscapes that people see. Thus, as we interact with others, how we behave can be as important as who we are. If we project our passion for life, our warmth, and our tolerance in our facial features, voice, and choice of words, every person who enters our circle of influence will leave our presence feeling at peace with themselves and with us. You never know whose life you are affecting, big or small. Try to remember this as you go out into the world each day.

Walls of Protection

The holidays seem to be a more susceptible time than usual for our moods to be on an emotional roller coaster. The words and actions of your close associates, family members, and friends can affect you profoundly, instilling within you an ever-changing tableau of emotions. Your moodiness can dismay and distress you, distracting you from your purpose and eventually causing you to retreat into solitude. Yet avoiding this lonely, upsetting fate can be as simple as building a powerful wall of healing light that prevents harmful outside emotional energy from intruding upon your soul and interfering with your feelings or thoughts. Building this wall of healing will likely help you feel secure and levelheaded once this invisible barrier is in place.

Acknowledging that the emotions experienced by the people with whom we share our environments need not have an effect on our own peace of mind allows us to modulate our sensitivity as necessary. When we erect a temporary wall between ourselves and those who have the potential to hurt us unintentionally by impacting our moods, we can interact with these individuals without sacrificing our own feelings of wellbeing. Our relationships remain strong in the face of adversity because we are not subject to the empathetic shifts in mindset that might otherwise render us unable to function. And we no longer become overly sensitive when confronted by individuals whose coarseness or thoughtlessness could potentially cause us distress. Your vulnerability will vanish when you raise a protective wall that shields you from emotional harm.

 

Step Out of Your Box

I want to encourage each of you in this room today to think big, but to do small things with great love as well! We need not wait for huge, cosmic solutions to the needs in our world today. If we do we’ll never do anything. The fact is, we can’t love the whole world at once. But we can love individuals and communities of people as God gives opportunities… that is, if we are insightful and courageous enough to take those opportunities! 

So, here is your opportunity to make a difference in your community. Here is your opportunity for God to use you! The fact is God chooses to do miracles through ordinary people like each of us, as we are willing to be used by Him. It’s all about how God can use each one of us, right where we are, as long as we are willing to break out of the boxes that bind us! 

Most of us gravitate toward boxes. It’s human nature. We seek what is comfortable and familiar. Sometimes we don’t want to move beyond the parameters of what we’ve always done. 

But Jesus is not one for boxes. He broke out of the tomb that held Him. He freed His friend Lazarus too. He threw the money lenders boxes right out of the Temple. In His earthly ministry He constantly pierced people’s puffy conventions and challenged their earthly comforts, luring them toward the risky business of eternal comfort.  He challenged the rich young ruler to give up the wealth that defined and confined him. He wooed the woman at the well to be free of the sin that bound her. 

And in one of the passages I love most, He called His disciples to “put out into the deep water.” In Luke 5, we are told that Christ’s friends had been in the shallows, and that’s where they wanted to stay.

“Come,” Jesus said.

Grumbling, they rowed to where the water was deep, and the lake was wide. They were in over their heads. Jesus rocked their boats. 

And then the shimmering fish leapt into their nets, the men strained to haul in the catch, and Peter fell at Jesus’ feet, overwhelmed by the power of the living God. 

In our own journeys with Jesus, is not the dynamic the same? He calls us further than we would choose to go on our own. Many times our journey does not conform to our acceptable parameters of what we are willing to trust. I have found time and time again in my life, that  If I had stuck with what was familiar and had stayed on solid ground, I would have missed the adventure that followed. 

That’s what Jesus does!  He woos us constantly to come farther in and farther up, to dive deeper into the river of His grace. Sometimes we resist. We like comfort and the illusion of being in control. But if we stick with what is familiar, we box our faith. It becomes human enterprise rather than godly exercise.

 

But if we take even the smallest steps of willingness…

“Oh Lord, I know not what lies ahead. I can’t control it. But I trust You!”…then we break out of the box! 

Then God takes us on new adventures we could have never imagined! 

Are you ready to make a difference?

Are you ready to be used by God?

 

For Speaking Availablity Contact:

Allen Tanner

chaplaintanner@yahoo.com

941-779-7335

 

 

 

Feeling Pain….What do You Do?

 

In watching the way people respond to pain, difficulties and challenges, there is one thing we all have in common – and that is aversion to sitting in an uncomfortable place. When the going gets tough we simply want to run. Perhaps part of that nature is related to our limbic system and the fight or flight reactions we display when we feel threatened.

But as spiritual students this cannot be a justification for our behavior because – if we know in our souls that there is only One God – how is it possible that we can be threatened by anything or anyone? In other words – at some point in time, our spiritual consciousness must supersede our reptilian brain’s dream of separation.

The truth is that no one has died of emotional pain or difficult circumstances. Yet, we often feel so uncomfortable that we’re compelled to put into action dozens of habit behaviors that we have cultivated over the years to make ourselves feel safe.

Some of those actions might be: busying behaviors (burying ourselves in work, repetitively cleaning the house, keeping the TV on to not hear ourselves think, etc), addictive and zoning-out behaviors (drinking, drugs, sex, etc), and/or defensive behaviors (blaming, accusing, pushing people away, seeking friends to align with our point of view, etc).

When we take the time to simply sit with the way we’re feeling, with all our anger, fears, resentments, frustrations and angst, we come to a place of acceptance of what we are experiencing. We recognize that it doesn’t feel pleasant – as no fear-based emotions feel “good” – but at the same time we see that our feelings are not bad things, they are indicators of the point of view we are approaching life from, how we are thinking and perceiving.

Armed with this realization we can look forward to our pain as it is the perfect alarm system to alert us that a change has to be made in our lives. First and foremost the change that needs to be made is inside of us, and second, we make external changes if necessary.

It’s about cultivating a new relationship with pain – learning to not be afraid of it – to appreciate the value it has in our process of self-growth and awareness. If we can shift our point of view to see pain in this way, we’ll avoid many harmful behaviors that we sabotage ourselves with and we’ll be able to have more clarity around difficult situations. 

If we avoid sitting with our pain, then we avoid sitting with the situation and we’ll never have clarity or truth about the causation of our suffering.

 

                                                            

It’s critical that we develop the ability to sit still deeply within our feelings, honoring our process – and at the same time being able to have a sense of humor about the intricacies of life. Without a sense of humor, our spiritual path and life becomes dour, heavy and a burden to bear.

In addition, if we always see our pain as bad – we will feel guilty and punish ourselves for feeling that way, and that is not the place we want to be coming from. As spiritual beings I feel we are meant to be happy, live authentically and fully, and to explore who we are through our creative expression.

I encourage you to embrace your pain and stop suffering it. Perhaps from this point of view – no pain, no gain has some truth! See it, learn from it, move through it and finally – have gratitude for it!

 

Allen Tanner is a Chaplain and Crisis Counselor.  He is the founder and CEO of Chaplain & Counseling Services Inc. in Nashville. He is an inspirational and motivational speaker who speaks on a variety of topics. For more information contact Allen at: chaplaintanner@yahoo.com, www.chaplaintanner.blogspot.com

 

 

“Ducks Quack…Eagles Soar”

 

As I was preparing a presentation I came across a story that I had in my files that I would like to share with you.  It is my hope that it will inspire you to be like an eagle and soar above the crowd.

No one can make you serve others well – that’s because great serving is a choice. Harvey Mackay tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: “Hello. I’m Wally, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk, I’d like you to read my mission statement.”

 

Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally’s Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, “Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.” My friend said jokingly, “No, I’d prefer a soft drink.” Wally smiled and said, “No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke water and orange juice.” Amazed, Harvey said, “I’ll take a Diet Coke.”

Handing him his drink, Wally said, “If you’d like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.” As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, “These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d like to listen to the radio.

And as if that weren’t enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he’d be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, he would be quiet and leave him with his own thoughts.

“Tell me, Wally,” my amazed friend asked the driver, “have you always served customers like this?”

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. “No, not always. In fact, it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard someone tell this story that changed my life. 

That if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. So, “Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.”

“Well, that hit me right between the eyes,” said Wally. “This was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.”

“I take it that has paid off for you,” Harvey said.

“It sure has,” Wally replied. “My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I’ll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.”

Wally was phenomenal! He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I have probably told that story to more than 50 cab drivers over the years, and only 2 took the idea and ran with it; whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn’t do any of what I was suggesting. Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice: He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.  

Each day you have a choice: Get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day or get up expecting a wonderful day. The old saying, “Smile and the whole world smiles with you” can be true if you decide each morning to make the best of the day ahead. And remember – Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar!

~Author Unknown

Allen Tanner is a Chaplain and Crisis Counselor.  He is the founder and CEO of Chaplain & Counseling Services Inc. in Nashville. He is an inspirational and motivational speaker who speaks on a variety of topics. For more information contact Allen at:  chaplaintanner@yahoo.com, www.chaplaintanner.blogspot.com