I was thinking that living in the present is a bit like being on a conveyor belt lighting candles that come past. If I concentrate on each candle I can light it. The more candles I light the more there is light. But every now and again I get distracted by the shape of the candle, or its colour. So I miss the next one. If I run after it, I will miss even more and there is less light! So, I have to stay put and starting again I light every candle that comes past me. Is that not living the present well? If we failed one moment, let's not worry. Does it matter, or short DIM? I got this from a friend who is well practised in this. Any time she and her husband are at risk of worrying, or missing something, or getting worked up about something, DIM does the job. Thanks Maria & John Walsh!
If I have chosen the greatest thing on earth, ie God who is love, is there anything that matters more than that? Promptly I am put to the test with some not so good news about a friend. I cannot do anything practical in my condition, except worry. Or I can make sure I light those candle every moment for her, to root for her, to live my life for her! Loving the other means also to offer my little suffering as a token of my love for Jesus Forsaken. I have asked the help of the dream team, (Maria and Stacey)! By doing this I discovered how we are linked not by our suffering but by the presence of Jesus in our Midst, by the love God has for each of us and by the love we each have for Jesus on the cross. What a team, put together by God. Truly invincible.
Some days it's more difficult to live the present moment. On our own we are weak but together we're strong. I feel we keep passing the baton backwards and forwards to each other. Our code D.I.M "Does it matter" feels so much stronger now that we're in it together. The other day someone told me emphatically that I was wrong about something. I knew I was right & even looked it up! I felt a bit angry and wanted to let this person know that I was right! Then I thought D.I.M? It really was only something in the news that really wasn't important. I managed to swallow hard and let it go. The relationship was much more important than being right! Thank you for being so faithful Manfred and for constantly reminding us of what really matters.
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