We owe it to the creator to be present for this life, awake for this journey, alive for this ride. When a gift like this is given; a life for a while, we must make something bloom, fashion wings to fly somehow.
Showing posts with label Gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gratitude. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Gaining Perspective Through Fasting
In Carole Garibaldi Rogers' book "Fasting: Exploring a Great Spiritual Practice," writer Mary Aktay talks about the revelation that came to her while fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
"The rationale in Ramadan is that it's not about giving up food. It's about not doing anything else during the day that would take your mind off God. At first I wondered how that could be since when you're hungry all you can think of is food. Then, as I got older and wiser, I started thinking , well, where does the food come from? The food comes from the grace of God. And then that brought me into justice issues and solidarity with the poor. The food comes from the grace of God, but it also comes from the sweat and labor of people like the migrant farm workers."
Monday, June 16, 2008
Gratitude: A Beautiful Diversion
This might be one of the biggest challenges early on for many of us who still have the job of shopping and preparing or buying meals for our loved ones. It is also an amazing opportunity to be with desire and wanting - so near that you could actually taste it - yet refrain. It is a critical part of the practice that teaches unparalleled discipline.
What we focus on expands.
Because this is true, I realized quite quickly that I would need to set my intention and stay focused in a particular direction in order to get through the meal preparation and serving without breakingmy fast. For me, this meant occupying my thoughts with gratitude. While I chopped, sauted, poured and whisked, I kept my thoughts on how grateful I was to be able to provide a healthy meal for my family. I was grateful for my ability to cook and that my heart is so willing to do it. I was grateful that I could make a choice to abstain from eating because so many people don't have that opportunity; they do not eat because they cannot eat. On my fast day I also take my family's mealtime as an opportunity to thank God for my mother and all of the skills she passed on to me that I can now pass on to my children. I stay focused on how grateful I am that she taught me the importance of being able to feed my husband and the value of that act in my endeavor to keep him healthy and happy.
For me, taking this approach has made the unavoidable job of cooking while fasting, a kind of meditation and a grateful prayer. For those of us who have no other option, gratitude is a beautiful diversion.
What we focus on expands.
Because this is true, I realized quite quickly that I would need to set my intention and stay focused in a particular direction in order to get through the meal preparation and serving without breakingmy fast. For me, this meant occupying my thoughts with gratitude. While I chopped, sauted, poured and whisked, I kept my thoughts on how grateful I was to be able to provide a healthy meal for my family. I was grateful for my ability to cook and that my heart is so willing to do it. I was grateful that I could make a choice to abstain from eating because so many people don't have that opportunity; they do not eat because they cannot eat. On my fast day I also take my family's mealtime as an opportunity to thank God for my mother and all of the skills she passed on to me that I can now pass on to my children. I stay focused on how grateful I am that she taught me the importance of being able to feed my husband and the value of that act in my endeavor to keep him healthy and happy.
For me, taking this approach has made the unavoidable job of cooking while fasting, a kind of meditation and a grateful prayer. For those of us who have no other option, gratitude is a beautiful diversion.
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