So, Dark and I had a time thingy (in other words, we forgot how to count 8 hours this morning, so rather than meeting her at ten, like I thought after she said she'd be an hour late, I'm meeting her at eleven. Oi.), and I find myself with extra time to kill. :P
Today and tomorrow are supposed to be dog training days, but things have come up and I'm mostly off. An appointment this evening, an appointment tomorrow night -- no big. LONG DAY coming up on Saturday, so I don't have to worry about money. Phew. :)
Since I had some time to kill, I figured I might as well get other stuff done. And later today, probably write. For now, I read my book. :)
Order is the grace of God that brings to us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. God's grace assures us that the divine plan for our lives will unfold in an orderly manner according to our level of development. How many times ave you convinced yourself that you were ready for something only to discover later, sometimes painfully, that you were in fact not ready? Perhaps you missed a step or two along the way. Perhaps you were not aware of everything that would be required of you. You stepped out. You fell down. That too was in order. You needed to know what you did not know so that you could prepare yourself for the next experience.
This is very much the root of my belief that everything happens for a reason, and everything is a learning experience. It's hard to remember it's a learning experience when you're going through it. I'm alternately calm and flailing these days about relationship stuff, and it's difficult to remember that everything happens when it should, and my job is to accept what's happening, make the changes I need to make, and know that it will happen when it's supposed to. I would much rather it happen now! ;-D But this is a good reminder to me to take a deep breath and be calm.
Vanzant also talks about how what you create in your enviroment (you apartment, for instance) is a reflection of your mind. She suggests taking a look around, and deciding, is this how you want things to be? Do you have lots of stuff? Do you use that stuff? Do you need that stuff? Are your things taken care of, or rundown?
Take a look around the room are you in, your home, your office, your car, and ask yourself, "Is this place a true reflection of what I think about me? Is this place a reflection of what I actually believe and feel about myself?"
I like the spin she puts on it here -- not that it must be a reflection of you, but that it may be, and you can change it.
My place, like my head, has waaay too much stuff in it. I've been working lately on getting rid of things I no longer use, learning to let go of things that are taking up space for no particular reason, things I have ties to, but don't need ties to.
beachpalms has
a post about letting go of a sentimental pillow, because she doesn't really need it anymore. Things like that -- releasing ties that are not really necessary anymore. I'm trying to make my apartment a more peaceful place to live in, too; get rid of or store clutter more effectively, keep it cleaner, find new homes for the things I no longer want. I find it very interesting that I'm doing all the same things in my mind: trying to let go of ties that are no longer helpful or healthy, trying to get over issues so they no longer take up space, learn to live more quietly and peacefully in my head.
...order is also the ability to recognize that you are in order, an that where you find yourself is where you need to be. We become bored by doing repetitive tasks. ...There is a divine reason you are where you are. Perhaps there is something you have forgotted to do or practice. Is there an abiliy, skill, or virute you have not been practicing lately? Maybe you are not ready to move on and this situation has come to let you know just that. If you really believe you are not where you need to be, what are you willing to do to get there?... Every experience is ordered by grace to teach and remind us of who we are in the divine scheme of things.
You can put your mind in order by focusing on one thing at a time, doing it well, and appreciating the opportunity for preparation that this doing offers. You can put your life in order by admitting to yourself what you really want to experience, and taking one step at a time that will move you closer to that experience. You can put your environment in order by clearing out the old, worn-out, broken, and useless things that are taking up space. You can put your spirit in order by replacing fearful, doubtful, angry thoughts with thoughts about the grace of God, and by accepting that God's purpose, plan, and will for you is the orderly development of your soul's identity.
All things I need to remember, when I'm hitting the same problem I've hit before, or get impatient with where I'm at. It's not like I haven't heard, "Be in the present moment," before, which is what this last paragraph boils down to. ;-D Just so hard. >.> Still, a little bit at a time, I'm managing it.
J