People sacrifice the present for the future. But life is available only in the present – Thich Nhat Hanh, Buddhist Monk
The knots in our life
Matt 12:36-37 –“But here is what I tell you. On judgment day, people will have to account for every careless word they have spoken. By your words you will be found guilty or not guilty. (NIRV)"
The knots in our life are created by our way of thinking, fear, refusal of change, and more importantly the words we have spoken, and not spoken. My friend told me about a statement he heard on television – You are trying to untangle a knot that took 6 years to create, and it will not be unraveled quickly. When I heard it, it struck a chord with me. I immediately saw the knotted necklace that takes me awhile to untangle. Sometimes I have to put it away because it is so frustrating, and not wear it until a later date. When I am asked, why you didn’t wear the other necklace? I lie, make up a flighty story and move on. I then try again, then find out as I unwind, untangle one knot, another one appears. I become angry, put it away again, or asked for help from another person but try to tell them how to do the untangling rather than listening, watching, and learning; ringing a bell... Then we wondering how did, this necklace get so knotted up. Then I think back on my careless and carefree ways of just throwing it into the jewelry box unthinking, and moving it around so I could get at something else. Wow! Epiphany moment here, I realize it started with a ‘me’ focus. I concluded this is what happens to each of us when we decide to live in,with a ‘me focus,’ then we begin living with paranoia that results in fear, unforgiveness, denial, or traditions, that have lost their meaning in translation. We live our lives driven and order by our emotions in an exact precision process of incremental steps that lead to a knotted life. Then we wake up, and want it fix everything that took weeks, months, and for some, years to create but you desire an immediate fix; not so much. We have willingly foregone authenticity for the ease and the convenience as well as the immediate response. Yet God calls, and we answer. Now, there is some heavy lifting required and more than a minute is necessary to unknot those troubles. It is overwhelming, and then we walk away because we do not want to deal with the frustration or the anger, or the hurt it brings, or the truth it shall show. So, I challenge each of you to ask yourself - What knots am I creating currently with my fear and insecurity and justifying with my words or my silence because it is easy. What knots do I live with that is slowly, but without fail, destroying me and shall taint those connected to me? When shall I begin the healing journey that changes my words and put me in the ethical space governed by a faith shaped by an encompassing God who redeems?
Prov. 14:1 - A wise woman builds her house. But a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands. (NIRV)
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