That life could ever work on its own terms, without the need of human intervention may seem to be a farfetched notion. It certainly was to me; until recent years, at least. In the past, I would have been one of those busy persons who would have laughed uproariously at such an idea. I mean, really; life working out on its own! What a priceless and naïve notion! Now, I am absolutely convinced of the perfection in the process of life; despite the apparent blunders that may seem to be occurring. What has changed? Me; and it’s high time; but, of course, even the timing of my transformation is reflective of perfection at work.
When we surrender and allow The Process to work through us, events flow so much more smoothly.
So, how do we work this process? The answer is simple: We don’t, and realizing such—and implementing this non-doing—is part of Its perfection. The Process works us. When we surrender and allow The Process to work through us, events flow so much more smoothly. Synchronicities of divine order take place and spare us from our oft misguided efforts. We’ll sleep better, relax more, and live more fulfilling lives. We are required only to realize that a Beneficent Power is behind the wheel of our life and that our body-mind—and all of its abundant opinions—belongs in the back seat. Our greatest struggles occur when we assume that life has it all wrong and that this or that needs to be tweaked according to our will. The following are three “memos” from The Process that help it work through us more smoothly:
- Acceptance: At some point, all of us will be forced to accept that life is in charge; and that includes situations and circumstances, which, at least on the surface, do not appear to serve the greatest good. How can the death of a loved one, the abrupt end of a marriage, or the diagnosis of a terminal disease ever be right? Surely, a serious glitch has occurred. Although challenging (even seemingly impossible) to understand, it’s through events such as these that we learn to trust The Process. We reach a point of knowing that nothing is wrong; that, indeed, The Process is working just fine, albeit not to our liking. Through trust, we grow in understanding and develop a more expansive perspective toward life. In hindsight, our human perspective appears microscopic by comparison.
- Reciprocal Caring: Given humankind’s habit of looking out for number one, this guideline may seem ridiculous; but if we trust The Perfect Process, it will be understood more easily. When we become willing participants and leave our personal combativeness behind, we begin to witness magic. All that we have to do is surrender our ego’s pathetic stranglehold on life and allow ourselves to be used for the greater good.
- Judge Not: There’s a vast difference between discernment and judgment. It’s in our best interest to discern wisely; but to judge others and ourselves gives rise to a multitude of negative consequences, none of which serve us well. Discerning whether it’s wise to walk down a darkened alley (especially if there’s a history of violence in the area) is making good use of our ability to think. Judging, however, places us in the unenlightened position of pretending to know everyone’s best interests. Do we truly desire to judge a scheme of life that is beyond human comprehension?
***
Several years ago, a visit with an elderly lady revealed an example of The Perfect Process in action. It moves me still. When I moved into my apartment building, my own life was crumbling around me. Nancy had been twice married. Her last husband suffered a stroke when they had been married for only a few years. She was devastated. “Don’t you dare die on me,” she whispered to her husband while he was still in the hospital. The Perfect Process was working through her husband, who (as a willing participant of the greater good) practiced acceptance, reciprocal caring, and non-judgement. As he lived his faith, The Process worked through him. He recovered, and he and Nancy enjoyed several more years together.
The Perfect Process never rests. It is always at work. Ten years later, Nancy’s husband suffered a second stroke, followed by a heart attack, and a third (debilitating) stroke. This time, however, Nancy possessed the strength and courage to apply the three principle memos. She didn’t wish her husband to suffer. Leaning close, she held his hand warmly in hers, and whispered, “Please now forget what I told you the first time. It’s your time to go.” Two days later he died. Her husband’s work, which shone as an example of The Perfect Process in action, had been fulfilled. Nancy’s, too.
Many disbelievers may scoff at the philosophy of surrendering; of embracing life in all of its fullness. How easy it is to cry, “But, we don’t get anywhere by doing nothing! We have to be doing, righting wrongs, and fighting for justice!” The problem is that each of us has our own version of how such should occur. When each of us lives by the assumptions that this should happen but not that, we unintentionally pit our personal energies against one another. Is that really so wise?
Art: Good stuff as usual. The older I get, the more I see the clouds parting, and the sunlight of energy peeking through. Whatever our concept of ‘god’ is, there’s no denying the fact that something—call it god, or allah, or vishnu, or the universe—some energy source directs our lives, and sets our sails. If only we can let go and allow that, it can be a hell of a ride.
In the next few days I intend to write a piece abut a fellow named Daniel and his wife. I met them in an emergency room several years ago, when I was flying an air medical helicopter, and he was my patient. I still get chills when I think about Daniel and his wife, and what happened that evening. I think you’ll like Daniel’s story.
Thanks for this.
BE