These words have always sparked hope and optimism in me. The promise of a beneficent power that restores the "years the locusts have eaten" and lets us begin again, with a fresh slate, devoid of baggage, is a gospel I can wrap my heart around.
Of course, every one of us has some regrets about the past. It is human to wish that things had been different for us. We may regret decisions we've made, words we've spoken or not spoken, actions we took or failed to take, opportunities not seized or situations we could have left alone. Each of us could make a list. But why dwell there? While regret is a normal human emotion, it's a learning device, not a mantra. Disappointment, regret, and remorse are all useful in revealing what matters to us now; emotions to help us see what didn't work, so we can realign our intentions. However, regret is a state to visit, not a place to live.
Regardless of what has or hasn't happened in the past, the question before every one of us is: What now? Where do we go from here? Whether we are celebrating 20 years of life or our 20th year of retirement, Spirit is calling us to shake the dust from our feet and begin again.
It's time to retrieve shelved dreams, prime our creative pumps, finish the play, take the dulcimer down from the shelf, plant some new seeds of possibility and approach this precious life before us with renewed zeal. Our past led us to this moment. From this precious awareness, we can wipe away lingering regrets and replace misgivings with new commitments that align with our deepest values. We can listen expectantly for our deepest truth, our most passionate aspiration, calling us to express the best that is within us.
New life in the body is a breath away. With each in-breath, we take in life-giving oxygen that renews every cell in our body. With each out-breath, we release the CO2 that would debilitate our well being. And so it is with our psycho-spiritual well being. We breathe out the past - the missteps and regrets, the habits that would debilitate our well being. And then, having made room in our consciousness for new life, we take in a fresh breath of possibility, the promise that with God all things are again possible. (Matt.19:26)
The very word spirit comes from the root word, Spiritus which means breath. It's vital to remember that our spiritual life is nothing less than the Life of Spirit, and the degree to which we allow it to motivate and guide us. This Life, which is greater than any power on earth, is breathing us, seeking to be made known through us, and as us. This is a life-changing truth! Should we fully embrace this promise we can and will behold a new Life, made new by allowing Spirit to be Spirit in us. As it says in the ancient scriptures, "know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."(Jer.29:11)
Cheers...to the new life breathing us onward and upward!
Larry
Comments