Week of 11/24/2019 Intention: Taking up our charge. Here at Thanksgiving in the US, there is a somewhat heightened "buzz" of activity and excitement preparing for the holidays. Some consider Thanksgiving that last hurdle before the sprint to Christmas, and others kind of swirl the two holidays together like melted marshmallow atop a hot cup of cocoa. Some choose not to celebrate at all, and everyone does what works for their lifestyle and belief system.
For this Thanksgiving, I am extending an invitation to take a few moments of stillness and silence. That's step one. For some, that will be a gift in itself. If you can find that precious gift, then perhaps take some time to "empty out" the busy-ness of the moment. Some do this by breathing out and imagining that troubling or chaotic thoughts are emptied out with the breath. Others might just even out the inhale and exhale to get a sense of balance in the moment. If you get this far, then perhaps, just for this Thanksgiving season, show gratitude for all of our gifts that we have in this moment by offering up what we are and what we have to something bigger than we are. There are many names given for this Higher Power. Whatever name you assign this Grace, when we deeply bow in gratitude for our blessings, and offer ourselves up for service to a higher purpose, there is no more valuable offering we can give. Being grateful for now, and surrendering ourselves as warriors of Peace is a gift for God, for us, and for humanity.
