The theologian, guide, and poet Richard Rohr begins.
“Sooner or later, if you are on any classic “spiritual schedule,” some event, person, death, idea, or relationship will enter your life that you simply cannot deal with, using your present skill set, your acquired knowledge, or your strong willpower.”
He goes on, in a paragraph that had me grabbing a cup of coffee, slowing down, and sipping.
“Spiritually speaking, you will be, you must be, led to the edge of your own private resources. At that point you will stumble over a necessary stumbling stone, as Isaiah calls it; or to state it in our language here, you will and you must “lose” at something.”
And he positions further, perhaps from first-hand knowing, and perhaps from many-times witnessing.
“This is the only way that Life-Fate-God-Grace-Mystery can get you to change, let go of your egocentric preoccupations, and go on the further and larger journey. I wish I could say this was not true, but it is darn near absolute in the spiritual literature of the world.”
A bow to these words. Read the full post here on Awakin.org.
I’ve lived a few times within awakening moments, dark nights of the soul, bright lights of the birth. I’ve lived with many wisdom keepers, skilled to see and guide initiations. I’ve learned through many moments, to live from my belly. Surrendering. Again. Glimpsing insight from something beyond me. Again. Bathing in renewal as life has flowed through and around me. Again.
I don’t find that this ends. Life is kind with its “agains.” It has different flavors. Familiar reminders. Generous invitations. And both joyous and reluctant responses to life beyond my skill set, approachable only with an honest belly.
On it goes.
A thx to Richard Rohr today.
