Month: February 2013

I Fear

It is horrible to imagine that some of us live in a constant state of debilitating fear. Some of our fears may be based on past experiences so traumatizing that they defy words. Other fear is so deeply embedded in our past that we do not ever remember its roots: it’s just there. Some people believe fear is actually here, right now, waiting to walk through that door, or when the phone rings, or in a chance encounter. Some of us fear future events—some founded, some dreaded, some, only imaginary.

Many of us carry fears that are irrational phobias; fear of flying, heights, being enclosed in a small space, spiders, of men, of women. They are fears with little basis in the real world—but they are real enough to those who have them. And that is real enough to affect how we live and move every day.

Of course, few of us are like Nik Wallenda, casually strolling through life as if it were a tightrope over Niagara Falls. We’re somewhere in between—taking calculated risks, pushing forward with fear and trepidation. And rightly so; it’s a cruel world out there. Everywhere! Dangerous.

Fear can often be conquered through trust. Where do we place our trust? What constitutes a safe, person, a safe faith, a safe place? A platoon leader, a counselor, a drinking buddy (or, someone for tea), home? There are so few places of safety these days; even fewer safe people. All of us, no matter the extent of our fear, need to establish a relationship with someone with whom we are safe. We need safe places as well. A safe faith is for those who know they are secure in the God who made them, no matter what. The fear is still very present; but somehow it is different for people of faith.

 The only way to overcome fear is to face it (preferably with your safe friend), head-on or gradually, and begin to establish a trust in the God who has made you. Deep fears are the hardest to conquer with trust; but if you are not pushing against them, and laying them before the God of the Universe, they will conquer you. Do NOT let them. You are made of better stuff. You need not do it alone, either. There is always a God in the heavens who calls you—

So do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

~Isaiah 41:10

‘Nough said,

Gary

Tuning Forks

Zephyris

Experiences With Tuning Forks— High school Physics Class, a tuning fork in water, vibrating the water every which-way; the tuning of a grand piano; tuning a guitar with a set of mini forks, quartz watches. Then, tuning forks used in healing resonance on the head, feet, joints, & heart. Finally, electronic tuning forks in weapons of debilitating sound aimed at the enemy.

Tuning forks, invented in 1711, vibrate at various pitches producing perfect, consistent resonation. They help keep sounds in harmony, in sync with one another. Their vibration remains constant, certain, level; they keep things harmonious.

What is also for certain is that the human life-cycle, like musical instruments, needs a periodic tuning-up. Changes in life circumstance upset the rhythm of our life-music. We get out-of-sync with ourselves and the world around us. Sometimes we are thrown into the conundrum of already & not-yet; so we use a camouflage to cover-up the seething foment of internal fluctuations. We lose that cohesiveness necessary to function healthfully, integrating our inner and outer selves with the world around us.

There are some signs that reveal this discord. Our schedules get all out of whack. We forget what needs to be done next…, or, was that last?!? We respond to the moment more frequently than not. We forget the context for our goals, both immediate and life-long. Some of us even snap at others, isolating ourselves, shutting down. We become immobilized, directionless, indecisive.

It is precisely in these times we need to STOP! Take a breath…, and slow our heart-rate enough to regain some degree of composure. Why? Because we need deep perspective and peace more than at normal times of our lives. We need to cry out to the God who made us for strength…, and then accept it when it comes. Did I mention that it is difficult to hear God with a frantic heart?

As the crisis passes, consider a deeper reorienting of your life. A tune-up if you will. You dare not try this on your own: you will need an external resource for perspective & honesty. Find a Life-Coach, a Counselor, a wise friend, a loving spouse, an insightful parent— someone with whom you can be a safe.

Keep in mind that tuning forks vibrate and have impact on the airwaves around them. In the same way your tune-up will shake things up both within and without. Your life will go through a reorienting process with little direction for a while; just shaky. You will feel noisy within, unsure on the outside. This is normal. Go through it; tune-ups take time.

Have a nice week,

Gary

exuberance

Sini Merikallio

William Blake (1757-1827), painter, printmaker & exceptional poet during Britain’s Romantic Era, once proclaimed that—

“Exuberance is beauty!”

And how right he was! In a baby’s eyes, a child’s excitement, a boy’s exhilaration at catching his first fish, in an ingénue’s coquettish joy at her first date, or in a bride’s elation on her wedding day, their outward demeanor accurately reveals their inner, entire body, mind, & soul captivation.

Exuberance leaves nothing to the imagination. Watch any football game; it is easy to tell which side just scored just by the roar of the crowd. Exuberance is an obvious expression of our overjoyed sense of excitement within. Unfortunately, exuberance subsides to a more socially acceptable expression as we age. Even though exuberance is expressed quite differently by different kinds of people, it is, in fact, a sad reality that our exuberance follows our body’s descent into decay and becomes boringly sedated. It becomes a civilized passion, which is hardly a passion at all.

How sad.

Not that we should become like little children, with joyous expressions of abandon, nor like exuberant fans at a ball game going wild. But, rather…, something more; something that lifts us, and those around us, to a brighter, lighter plane of perspective; to a new life, as it were, for a moment, or even a lifetime. Too many of us have died, emotionally, passionately, way before our time. We’ve lost that zest for life that is quintessential for anyone claiming to be human…, and still breathing. Could it be that though we are not dead yet…, it is hard for others to notice any life in us. To some degree our increasing concern with caution and personal preservation has supplanted our passion for living, our joie de vivre. Could it be that we have actually lost our life’s core, our undergirding principles? It is difficult to feign life when there is little, if any, clarity about who we are within.

Therefore, for any exuberance to gain expression, we must first regain a sense of who we truly are, of our core values and of a sense of what we are all about. Only then can we let out a good R-O-A-R every now & then.

So let us get to work; so that we once more may express our joy with great exuberance of heart— shouting wildly, singing loudly, flapping our appendages in the air so all the world. Let us dance, twirling in circles with glee; let us do back flips, collapsing on the ground in a puddle of laughter. Let us let our enthusiasm for life be known for all to see. Exuberance is beauty!

You are not dead yet; neither am I. So let’s get at it! Reestablishing our core within so we can claim life to the fullest inside and out! Exuberance is so much more catching. It brings life to all who come near it.

Have a nice week,

Gary