River Lesson #5367

Spiritual resource to share: full engagement

I have learned so much from rivers. Rivers were a big part of my life for about ten years as a raft guide and whitewater kayaker and racer. Next to the the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, I probably learned more life lessons from this one natural resource than all others!

This lesson, lovingly called #5367, was about putting down the pride of accomplishment and fully engaging in the present state of things.

With rafting, I learned how to get a group of novices to work together quickly to play in the rapids and have fun; with kayaking, I learned much about overcoming fear and being able to trust; with racing, I learned how to sharpen my skills and got stronger, faster and more accurate with each race I took on.

HOWEVER, whenever I got to the river, got in my boat, and stuck my paddle in the first current, I noticed how unimpressed the river would be with all of my past accomplishments. Nothing from my past mattered except what I could put to use that day, that moment on the river.

In all my runs – whether it was with a group in a raft, or on my own in my kayak – I was successful when I was committed to the moment. And by successful I mean that I could experience the full joy of dominion over fear, of blending with the strength of the river and of increasing skill.

So, how does this translate?

When an experience is new to me or some new element or person has come into my experience, I find this lesson very helpful.

When the pride of experience tempts me to plow through another’s obstruction, I remember that a river flows around the rocks, and I am careful not to get caught in the eddy of turbulent water behind the rock. I can be gentle, yielding, and not get caught up on a rock!

When another challenges how I do things, I remember to not stand on the things I did in the past, but on what wisdom directs me to do now. Progress is a law of God and so is constantly working. I can listen.

The river is constant; constantly moving and will find its own level. God is constant, and as God’s expression, we are constantly moving and expressing all of God’s qualities. We will all find our own level of expression that is full and satisfying, strong and enduring and joy-full!

Mary Baker Eddy shares these ideas from an article from Miscellaneous Writings (p. 224):

We should remember that the world is wide; that there are a thousand million different human wills, opinions, ambitions, tastes, and loves; that each person has a different history, constitution, culture, character, from all the rest; that human life is the work, the play, the ceaseless action and reaction upon each other of these different atoms.

Then, we should go forth into life with the smallest expectations, but with the largest patience; with a keen relish for and appreciation of everything beautiful, great, and good, but with a temper so genial that the friction of the world shall not wear upon our sensibilities; with an equanimity so settled that no passing breath nor accidental disturbance shall agitate or ruffle it; with a charity broad enough to cover the whole world's evil, and sweet enough to neutralize what is bitter in it.....

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

success in life

Spiritual resource to share: persistence

Tonight was parent's night for all those parents who have been supporting their sons' and daughters' wrestling activity. So, before the matches, all the parents got to parade in front of the crowd, and be greeted by their wrestler who gave them a hug and a flower. But I think the flowers should also go to the coaches. (See my post last year on "Wrestling defeat into victory")

These men have been so consistent in coaching and encouraging these young men into becoming solid and strong athletes. I admire them. Their basic premise in coaching is based on a number of ideas:

• We believe in you.
• You can always work harder.
• You always improve with each match.
• Don’t let discouragement win.

There is a lot of metaphysical truth to those ideas. My son and I talked about this and this is what we came up with.

Discouragement is like admitting that nothingness is real. This is best explained with an example. OK, you lost a match. Your first thought might be one of discouragement– 'oh I am such a loser'. Well, a loser is defined by NOT winning. So the definition of a loser is a definition of not doing something; a nothing – no thing. But there is no substance in NOT being a thing. What needs to happen is to get thought to focus not on what you are NOT, but what you are.

And what are you? Constantly growing, constantly progressing. Accepting this does not take time or educational processes. You are the reflection of all that God is. RIGHT NOW. Now with that – you can take a loss totally on its ear – you can learn and be strengthened with what you have learned. Each match and each practice is an opportunity to let all of what is good and strong to be expressed. And when each kid accepts this potential, the way opens up for him to express that.

Coaches are great at making sure discouragement doesn’t take a hold of anyone's thought. If a wrestler loses a match, they are right there making sure the wrestler knows what needed to happen, showing how to do it, and spending as much time until the discouragement has been dissolved enough to let the light in - and the wrestler goes away learning the important lessons.

In other words, they don’t speak to the nothingness – the loser, but they speak to the good, the potential and the strength - encouraging that and bringing it out of each wrestler. They see the potential in each kid. They know that with work and persistence, the strength and skill will emerge in everyone. That's what they speak to, and that's what shows up in the kids' performance.

We know from our study in Christian Science that our potential is always growing; our abilities, strength, agility, intelligent capacity to strategize movements and anticipate actions – all this constantly improves. Why? Because we reflect the Creator - that ongoing creation of all things good.

Failure sometimes happens. But those who achieve great things know how to persist beyond failure to use what God has given them. MBEddy says it well in Miscellaneous Writings p. 230:

Success in life depends upon persistent effort, upon the improvement of moments more than upon any other one thing.

photo by S. Justad

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

wrestling defeat into victory

Spiritual resource to share: constancy


Last Saturday, I spent hours at my son's wrestling meet taking it all in, when right in the middle of the bleachers in the middle of the day, I felt a blog coming on, and just had to write what I was seeing that day.

There is something to be said about the energy level of an auditorium filled with hundreds of kids, their adoring fans of family and friends, and the coaches who have worked with these kids, ages maybe 5 to 14 years old, for years. It's all good. Everyone cheers for their favorite, but there is no opposition. Everyone is being cheered on to do their best. Although it is thrilling to see the kids on your team win, I was really struck at what happens when a team member has a defeat.

Our coaches had an empowering impact on my son after he lost his two matches. Coaching him with practice moves and encouragement right before the match, cheering him on, yelling encouragement and instructions during the match, they were right there after the defeat, keeping that momentum of confidence going.

Their ability to depersonalize defeat, analyze where the problem was and where the improvement needs to be helped to keep thought focused on what is still possible. I saw it in my son's eyes: he was disappointed, but more determined; sad that he didn't win, but already figuring out how he could do better. The fact that they believe in their wrestlers' integrity and developing skill was continuous throughout the meet.

This whole episode was such a great example of God's love for each of us: constant, unwavering and ennobling.

On our spiritual journeys, we encounter storms, defeat, victory, the whole spectrum of human experience. But it is in the moments of defeat that hope enters in and we can still see God working in our lives, we can still see possibilities for good.

When Mary Baker Eddy writes,

Human affection is not poured forth vainly, even though it meet no return. Love enriches the nature, enlarging, purifying, and elevating it.

...it makes me think that nothing we do out of a pure heart can ever be defeated. I think that when we love a sport, a project, even a person, it is the love that we pour into our lives, lived out through how we love, how we work and how we play; it is that love that always enlarges and elevates our nature. In that way, our defeats always turn into victories.




To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

Race Day this weekend! Calling in all inspirational quotes!

Spiritual resource to share: inspiration to run with

Okay all you wonderful readers, I need your inspiration and best quotes to take along with me this weekend as I go into my first ever cross-country ski race. I have been training these last few months with my good friend (see our hardly-ever-written-in blog) and NOW I feel so ready. Yesterday I did my first 11k run and felt great.

I'll be doing the easy part of the Birkebeiner - a run called the Prince Haakon Run which is 12K. It is, I am told, a good beginner run. My friend and my son are more ambitious and will be doing the 23K Kortolopet.

To start us off, a new friend emailed the other day. He found my blog while checking out "Christian Science," was delighted to know I prayed and skiied, and shared how he had been healed through prayer while training and racing the Birkie. He also shared one of his favorite quotes:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Going through my archive of kayaking and racing inspiration, I came across some other goodies. These are the kind of ideas that you can shout to one another over the noise of a river rapid or probably even down a ski trail:

• All things work together for good to them who love God.
• Glorify God in your body and in your spirit.
• You have all the strength you need.

Then there are others that are easy to write out and carry. These are helpful in the calm waters and eddies of a river, and would fit during a rest break available every 6K along the race course:

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Mind, joyous in strength, dwells in the realm of Mind. Mind's infinite ideas run and disport themselves. In humility they climb the heights of holiness.

Here is a good one to remember when I am soaring downhill - a good humming song:

I climb, with joy, the heights of Mind,
To soar o'er time and space;
I yet shall know as I am known
And see Thee face to face.
Till time and space and fear are naught
My quest shall never cease,
Thy presence ever goes with me
And Thou dost give me peace. (#139 Christian Science Hymnal)

Do you have any inspiration that has hit you on the slopes, the river, the track, the trail, the field or the court? It's all good.

I probably won't be posting on Friday, but will be back at my post, posting on Monday!

To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.