Charleston: facing unknown
“Facing the unknown is not quite so hard when we consider how much of our life is lived in the heart of mystery. We do not know what may come our way in the next five minutes, much less the next five days. We are given all the tools and skills we need to make our way through this reality, but the essence of that reality always eludes our final capture. This is why trust is our currency and wisdom our direction. We are explorers. We are travelers of the mind and seafarers of the heart. When we follow the Spirit, the unknown is only a bend in the road.”—Steven Charleston’s Facebook Page.
Bishop Charleston reminds us that even when we think we have made all the plans for our day, something different always happens. It can be just a small annoyance from a problematic person, a printer problem, or a more significant event, such as an illness, accident, or even death. We fool ourselves if we think we are in control. I have a friend who says, “I am fine if I have all my ducks in a row.” But, of course, he also says, “but that never happens.”
When we decide to follow the Spirit, what 12-step groups call “doing the next right thing,” we have a chance at a life of peace and surrender to what is happening at that moment. That is living in the present. The precious present. This is our gift each day from the God of love. We are to be present in each situation, trying not to worry about what has happened in the past or dreading the future. Living in the present is where God meets and speaks to us. In the present moment, we become open to connecting to the Christ within us and the Christ in our neighbor.
Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/