Last week things weren't going too well with our house move and we wondered what was going wrong - was it the wrong thing to do, were we putting up barriers, was there a better way … and on and on our minds went.
Then I had a BFI* - we were moaning about everyone! So, the opposite is gratitude … gratitude for everyone we meet and know. We set gratitude in motion and wham! We got an email from someone else at the real estate firm who just wanted to get things moving (as did we) and had no interest in the "he said, she said" thing, as she called it.
Sounds so simple when I look back on how many times have I encountered blockages … and I was the blockage? Too scary to think about but now things are moving again, I'm just soooooooooo grateful I thought of it!
*BFI = Blinding Flash of Inspiration
Unfortunately, Arthur Bayly is so confued by the unexpected turn of events, he's not quite sure what to be grateful about. His story continues from the previous blog ...
"So, what question do we ask?" asked Arthur, unable to restrain himself any longer.
"Whatever's bothering you. Whatever you need an answer to," said Joan, admiring the Lego house that Chloe had just showed her, with great pride. "That's lovely, dear. You're very clever."
"So, that's why you suggested we state our question about Dad," said Emily, looking like a light bulb had just been turned on in her head. "We ask 'where do we find Samuel Lord?' Then we wait for the answer. It can't be that simple, really?"
"That's the problem, we love things to be complicated and we mistrust the simple. We reject the simple answers," said Joan. "The really difficult bit is staying out of our own way, of not stopping to listen and of jumping in with our most logical actions."
"What's wrong with logic?" asked Arthur, taking his seat again, shaking his head in confusion.
"Nothing's wrong with logic, dear, if we know all the facts," said Joan. "The trouble is that we never, ever, in any circumstance, know all the facts and so we apply our logic to half the problem, not all of it."
"Oh gosh, I hadn't thought of it that way," said Arthur.
"The Universe, God or whatever you call that which is bigger than all of us, does know all the facts and so its logic is the only reliable one," said Joan.
"So we ask 'where is Sam Lord'?" asked Arthur, hoping desperately that Joan would say 'yes'.
"Not quite. My suggestion, dear, is that we ask what are we meant to do in this moment," said Joan. "We ask what action we should take, right now, and the rest will be revealed."
"So, it's quite practical, really," said Emily. "Knowing where he is doesn't help us to know what to do about it."
"Exactly!" exclaimed Joan, clapping her hands and giving everyone a fright. "Oops, sorry, I just love this stuff! Right now we don't need to know where he is or how he is - if we did, we may still not know what to do about that situation. We always ask for action in the present, what to do right now."
"So we just sit here and Poppa will come in?" came a small, uncertain voice from the floor.
The adults all chuckled and two looked at the other one, expecting an answer. The answer came but it took a little time to rattle round in Joan's brain, travel down to her throat and come out of her mouth.
"Well, darling Chloe, we do sit and listen and wait," said Joan, uncertainly, "but I don't think your Poppa will just pop through the door."
"Down the chimney like Father Christmas?" asked Chloe, excitedly.
"No dear, we probably won't see Poppa today," said Joan, patiently, as Chloe's face dropped. "You see, God talks very quietly, in our heart, and if we're rushing around doing lots of busy things, panting and stressed, we may not hear him."
"So we sit in silence and wait for God to speak?" asked Emily.
"Ah, sort of," said Emily, her face going redder by the minute. "Look, what I'm saying is that if we stay alert, stay present to each moment, the answer may come to us - will come to us. It might not be loud and in dazzling lights. It could be - usually is - subtle, quiet, less obvious. That's what the Course says, anyway ... I think."
"If I play here quietly, is that alright Mummy?" asked Chloe, obviously concerned. "I'll listen very carefully."
"Of course it is love," said Emily, smiling at Chloe. "Just ask God for help to find Poppa and keep on playing - an answer or idea might come."
"At the risk of repeating myself, what do we do now?" asked Arthur, feeling restless and the need to do something. "I really should be getting on with the work I picked up today." He was instantly reminded of the altercation at the AIL offices, a few hours ago, and wondered how Mary and everyone else was. He hadn't even told Joan about it yet, either ... As he stood up there was a knock at the front door.
"Oh, Mummy, do you think that's God?" asked Chloe, leaping up and beating Arthur to the door.
"No, no, Chloe ..." said Emily, realising her words were in vain and unsure of whether to stand or sit.
"She's really getting into this, isn't she!" said Joan. "Let's us just sit back and see if it is God!" The women smiled to each other and then laughed, releasing the tension in the room.
Then I had a BFI* - we were moaning about everyone! So, the opposite is gratitude … gratitude for everyone we meet and know. We set gratitude in motion and wham! We got an email from someone else at the real estate firm who just wanted to get things moving (as did we) and had no interest in the "he said, she said" thing, as she called it.
Sounds so simple when I look back on how many times have I encountered blockages … and I was the blockage? Too scary to think about but now things are moving again, I'm just soooooooooo grateful I thought of it!
*BFI = Blinding Flash of Inspiration
Unfortunately, Arthur Bayly is so confued by the unexpected turn of events, he's not quite sure what to be grateful about. His story continues from the previous blog ...
"So, what question do we ask?" asked Arthur, unable to restrain himself any longer.
"Whatever's bothering you. Whatever you need an answer to," said Joan, admiring the Lego house that Chloe had just showed her, with great pride. "That's lovely, dear. You're very clever."
"So, that's why you suggested we state our question about Dad," said Emily, looking like a light bulb had just been turned on in her head. "We ask 'where do we find Samuel Lord?' Then we wait for the answer. It can't be that simple, really?"
"That's the problem, we love things to be complicated and we mistrust the simple. We reject the simple answers," said Joan. "The really difficult bit is staying out of our own way, of not stopping to listen and of jumping in with our most logical actions."
"What's wrong with logic?" asked Arthur, taking his seat again, shaking his head in confusion.
"Nothing's wrong with logic, dear, if we know all the facts," said Joan. "The trouble is that we never, ever, in any circumstance, know all the facts and so we apply our logic to half the problem, not all of it."
"Oh gosh, I hadn't thought of it that way," said Arthur.
"The Universe, God or whatever you call that which is bigger than all of us, does know all the facts and so its logic is the only reliable one," said Joan.
"So we ask 'where is Sam Lord'?" asked Arthur, hoping desperately that Joan would say 'yes'.
"Not quite. My suggestion, dear, is that we ask what are we meant to do in this moment," said Joan. "We ask what action we should take, right now, and the rest will be revealed."
"So, it's quite practical, really," said Emily. "Knowing where he is doesn't help us to know what to do about it."
"Exactly!" exclaimed Joan, clapping her hands and giving everyone a fright. "Oops, sorry, I just love this stuff! Right now we don't need to know where he is or how he is - if we did, we may still not know what to do about that situation. We always ask for action in the present, what to do right now."
"So we just sit here and Poppa will come in?" came a small, uncertain voice from the floor.
The adults all chuckled and two looked at the other one, expecting an answer. The answer came but it took a little time to rattle round in Joan's brain, travel down to her throat and come out of her mouth.
"Well, darling Chloe, we do sit and listen and wait," said Joan, uncertainly, "but I don't think your Poppa will just pop through the door."
"Down the chimney like Father Christmas?" asked Chloe, excitedly.
"No dear, we probably won't see Poppa today," said Joan, patiently, as Chloe's face dropped. "You see, God talks very quietly, in our heart, and if we're rushing around doing lots of busy things, panting and stressed, we may not hear him."
"So we sit in silence and wait for God to speak?" asked Emily.
"Ah, sort of," said Emily, her face going redder by the minute. "Look, what I'm saying is that if we stay alert, stay present to each moment, the answer may come to us - will come to us. It might not be loud and in dazzling lights. It could be - usually is - subtle, quiet, less obvious. That's what the Course says, anyway ... I think."
"If I play here quietly, is that alright Mummy?" asked Chloe, obviously concerned. "I'll listen very carefully."
"Of course it is love," said Emily, smiling at Chloe. "Just ask God for help to find Poppa and keep on playing - an answer or idea might come."
"At the risk of repeating myself, what do we do now?" asked Arthur, feeling restless and the need to do something. "I really should be getting on with the work I picked up today." He was instantly reminded of the altercation at the AIL offices, a few hours ago, and wondered how Mary and everyone else was. He hadn't even told Joan about it yet, either ... As he stood up there was a knock at the front door.
"Oh, Mummy, do you think that's God?" asked Chloe, leaping up and beating Arthur to the door.
"No, no, Chloe ..." said Emily, realising her words were in vain and unsure of whether to stand or sit.
"She's really getting into this, isn't she!" said Joan. "Let's us just sit back and see if it is God!" The women smiled to each other and then laughed, releasing the tension in the room.
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