transitions

Spiritual resource to share: gratitude

Tom's Burned Out Cafe on Madeline Island

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." James Keller

"The law of gravity cannot be held accountable for people falling in love." A. Einstein

"Your silence will not protect you." Audre Lorde

"If you harbour bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere."

And on and on and on. My family and I spent our last summer weekend biking and camping at Madeline Island and stopped at Tom's Burned Down Cafe before taking the ferry back to the mainland, and then back home. Tom's Burned Down Cafe is a piece of work - a northwoods tavern littered with the wisdom, satire and bloopers of the ages written all over its walls, bars, chairs and tables (see samples above). It was a fitting end to a full weekend and to a summer full of its own wisdom, satire and bloopers!

Really, it was a great summer. We all stretched - traveled farther than we have ever traveled, challenged ourselves beyond limits, stretched our budget, and stretched our ideas of what is possible in our lives. Mmmm....Wonderful.

So now, we are faced with moving forward to school, work schedules and a more regular rhythm of life.

In this transition time, I am so grateful for the summer. The good experienced and the spiritual growth gained will only continue. That is simply the nature of good and spiritual growth. Gratitude is so good for transition times.

I remember another major transition I went through a couple of years ago. For over a year, people at my work were being laid off, and it looked likely that my job would be cut as well. For more than a year, I started the practice of going to bed listing everything I was grateful for.

These gratitude sessions would be specific, and I would count the spiritual impulse behind each one of them. For instance, I was grateful for a specific project that I was on, because it taught me more about trust and patience than I had ever experienced. I was grateful that both our sons had made good friends, so they knew how to adjust to new situations and find that fun and loving companionship is everywhere. I was grateful for meeting so many people earnestly seeking out spiritual answers in their lives. I learned more about humility and universal brotherly love.

In practicing this gratitude, I was literally lifted above any kind of anxiety. I was so clear about God's progressive goodness, that there was no doubt that this progressive goodness would continue.

It turned out that I was laid off. But within about two weeks, my family and I found another home across the country, were able to sell our home and set ourselves up with new work.

How have you prayed during transitions in your life? This is a question being posed on spirituality.com's weekly question. Check out other's responses or add your own!




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