Ebbing and flowing in grace
A woman came into my office to get a letter she needed for an employer. As she was giving me the information needed for this letter, her six-year-old daughter started to become very antsy, whining and complaining that she wanted to leave. As her mother patiently told her that it would only take a few minutes, the little girl wouldn’t have it. In her anger for not getting her way, she started kicking, stomping, and screaming out, “I wanna go! I wanna go!” As any loving mother would do to help a child in need, she stood up and belted out, “You want to be angry?! Throw your tantrum and be angry!”
Without a second thought, this little girl threw herself down on the floor and we all heard a big THUD! In her fit of rage, she had thrown herself down face-first onto my ceramic floor. Neither the mother nor I said a word. The girl didn’t have anything more to say either. She simply got up, joggled her head, and promptly sat down on the couch.
Are you like this little girl? Do you become angry or forceful if someone does not give you what you feel you need or deserve? Do you feel compelled to give your opinion in order to help someone even though you know it will hurt a person’s feelings? Do you withdraw affection or support if the person you say you care about doesn’t see or do things your way? Do you use shame or guilt to get attention or to gain favor from others? Know that all of these tactics are forms of manipulation and control and that using them makes you no different than a child throwing a temper tantrum.
If you ever feel that you need to force or manipulate something or someone in order to make things happen, already know that you are making your first big mistake. We are not meant to force things to happen. Forcing someone to do what you want goes against the two foundational principles needed for any Eden or Heaven-like society: free will coupled with unconditional love. If you are in the habit of using force to get your way or you feel like you are being manipulated to comply or give in so that someone will love you, know that Chaos is the god of your world and that your world is Hell.
Life is not meant to be a series of battles to get what we need and want. Life is an ebbing and flowing of events and experiences meant to help us grow and find peace within. Because the more peace you have within, the more that grace, the free and unmerited favor of God, will touch your life and allow for what you need to naturally flow to you. Synchronicities, perfect timing, people showing you favor--all of this and more can be a part of your life when you let go of suffering and other forms of resistance, and just flow.
So here is the First Rule of Flow: If you have to force or manipulate to make something happen, then know that it is not meant to be. And if you choose to force what is not meant to be, know that the consequences of that force will be brutal. Choosing to ebb and flow under God’s grace is how we remove Chaos and create Heaven on God’s Earth.
Mother Owl
