Dear Friends,
“Turning from the Problem”
When our minds are filled to overflowing with a problem, we leave no room for Truth; Truth that is constantly awaiting our recognition as well as our acceptance. In Truth there is no problem, which we discover as we redirect our focus to THAT WHICH ETERNALLY IS!
There is the story about an old Cherokee teaching his grandson about life. He tells him that inside of him reside two wolves. One is negative, full of anger, greed, self-pity, guilt, false pride and is ego driven. The other is joyful, peaceful, filled with love, humility, kindness, compassion and faith. The grandfather explains that this is true for everyone and there is the same conflict between the two wolves going on constantly. When asked which wolf wins, the grandfather replies: “the one you feed the most.”
This is not the end of the story. The grandfather explained: “if you feed them right, they both win. When we choose to feed the good wolf, the bad (or negative one) will be just around the corner waiting to distract us and get our attention. By acknowledging that they both exist means there is no longer the internal battle for attention. And when there is no inner conflict, we are able to listen and hear the voice of a deeper knowing that will guide us in choosing what is right in the moment.
In the world around us we always have the two wolves and we could get caught up in a battle-field of win/lose. And this is usually due to wanting one wolf (team, political party, or country) to win and the other to lose. Until we realize that winning in the world is only a temporary situation we will remain in the win/lose loop.
Who or what do we turn to in challenging times? The general answer would be, God. But then we also direct God as to how the issue or situation needs to be resolved. That is not turning to God – that is merely deceiving ourselves that we are turning to God. Turning to God means turning from the problem (the existence of the problem if you like) and giving over…surrendering and listening… “speak Lord for thy servant heareth.”
We need to remember that turning away from the problem….doesn’t mean.. turning toward the solution. No! turning away from the problem means dropping the problem and going within – turning to God – the Inner Presence, for no other reason than to BE IN THAT PRESENCE Yet we keep feeding the wolves instead of being fulfilled by Spirit! In other words we’re “seeing double.” We read in Matthew 6:22, The light of the body is the eye: if. therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Again, we have the directive to see only Truth. We are in the world, but in Truth, not of it!
When we turn from the problem, only to seek the solution “out there,” we are seeing double—the problem and the solution. We are not surrendering to Truth; we are not hearing that still small voice within always ready to direct us. We all know there is more to Life. Yet, mostly, we are not letting the “more” be our experience. In Truth there is no problem yet in trying to solve our problems with the human mind we keep seeing the two wolves. So let us visit the stillness that awaits our presence … The solution is in God! The solution is God!
In Closing:
All the troubles that come upon us are the effect of “seeing double” instead of seeing with the “single eye” of wisdom. Our belief in duality recognizes the existence of two powers, good and evil; of two substances, spirit and matter.
Spiritual illumination corrects all misconceptions of the sense-man and reveals the true design of man’s life and work. This is attained only by correct thinking based upon the principles of eternal reality.
A principle is a truth that, when understood and applied, reveals the original reality. Just as we become hopelessly entangled in a mathematical problem when we fail to work with the rule, so we plunge our life into confusion when we think and act in opposition to a “spiritual principle.” Richard Lynch—Usable Truth
Bountiful blessings,
Mallory