in the prayer of st. francis of assisi, it is said,
"make me an instrument of thy peace.
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
grant that i may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying [to self] that we are born to eternal life."
these are the days of thanksgiving. these are the days when we make lists of things and people for whom we're thankful. these are days of giving and receiving.
today, i'm feeling thankful for a little book i found in goodwill this weekend called your life is your message by eknath easwaran. a book that is clearly "right up my alley": full of little gems to accompany anyone on a journey of transformation, hoping for harmony within. the quote above is suggested as a mantra, one of those sayings you repeat over and over throughout your day... a saying that helps get space between all the endless chatter of your mind.
in this time of thanksgiving, is it easier to sow love instead of hatred? are you more likely to pardon? does your faith feel stronger? can you hope, notice the light, shout for joy? are you an instrument of peace?
OR... is it harder to take~ all this love and light.
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| From flickr.com |
it is in the giving that we receive
so what are we giving these days, this time of year? what are we offering of ourselves? when you give, what do you receive?
your life is your message.
your life.
your message.
what is it?
will you give your message to us? what will you receive by giving it to us?
you never know.
neither do i, but i'm excited to begin.
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