August 06, 2023 – A

Posted byjimwdollarPosted in06/25/2020
Sunrise at Portland Headlight 09/26/2007 Oil Paint Rendered — Portland, Maine
Emergency room personnel have it down,
doing what needs to be done
with whatever comes through the door.

It is their business to meet all circumstances
with what is called for
without allowing their emotional reactions
to get in the way.

We would do well to train ourselves
to deal with all of our circumstances
in the same way.

If we spill the milk,
we clean up the milk.
If the car has a flat
we take the appropriate measures
to get the flat fixed
or a new tire purchased.
Etc. all day every day
for the rest of our life.

Just deal with it
with no editorial embellishment.

No expectations.
No opinions.
Only: See! Do!

Each situation that arises
has its source in the circumstances
that produce it.

It is ridiculous to take personally
anything that crops up,
much less everything.

Be the emergency room physician,
nurse,
technician,
dealing professionally with the moment
in every moment--
without being emotionally involved,
upset,
reactive.

Get up and do what needs to be done,
and be ready to do it again
in the next moment.

Live as though you have nothing at stake
in your life.

Think about it.
What do you have at stake in your life?
Nothing means anything
we don't permit it to mean.

So what if the flood waters wash away
our possessions?
We begin the task of putting things together
with our best effort to meet 
the demands of the day
from day to day.
It is a grim task, to be sure,
but it means nothing to us personally,
only logistically and financially.

Be the emergency room physician,
nurse,
technician,
doing what the circumstances call for
without being undone by things we don't control.

Situation by situation
all our life long.

–0–

Published by jimwdollar

I'm retired, and still finding my way--but now, I don't have to pretend that I know what I'm doing. I retired after 40.5 years as a minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, serving churches in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina. I graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Austin, Texas, and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. My wife, Judy, and I have three daughters, five granddaughters, one great granddaughter, and a great grandson on the way, within about ten minutes from where we live--and are enjoying our retirement as much as we have ever enjoyed anything.

3 thoughts on “August 06, 2023 – A”

  2. Jim, I don’t comment frequently but I want you to know that I read every single one of your posts every single day. Thank you for being a guiding light. I have my favorites I’ve saved. 🙂

    All the best,
    Ann

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  3. Hi Ann, Thanks for your touching base! I think not one of us would make it long on our own. We are dealing with such a weight of assumed reality on every level, but especially where our spirituality is concerned, and remembering our practice of living in the flow of our life, tuned into, focused upon, what has life for us, zest, enthusiasm, interest, delight, and being there, doing that, seeing where it goes, doing what our circumstances call for, here and now–is essential to our balance and harmony and to our ability to be one with the things that resonate with us. Daily reminders are important, and I’m glad to be a part of things with you! — Jim

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