Sacred WISDOM…

Sacred WISDOM…

We are living in what most people will call a very DIVIDED and DIFFICULT time. We hear the news of suffering in our midst, people working without pay, and others wondering where their next meal might come from. How many times over past history have those same words been uttered by humans hoping to survive the turmoil and live in peace and love. I know for myself there are moments of joy mixed with fear, and love threaded  with anxiety for ALL people in our country. But, I totally believe that we have very SACRED WISDOM that lives right inside of us to make good decisions that change our actions in life every day in 2025 here in the USA!

Let’s go BACK in time to an era that we don’t often put into our thinking. I want to share a story of Buddha who lives in people’s hearts that follow his teachings of LOVE and PEACE. Here is a story we ALL need to read… I SHARE this in humble thanks to Rev. Cameron Trimble.

There’s a story told of the Buddha and an angry man. The man came hurling insults, full of fury, demanding a fight. But the Buddha stood calm, rooted in stillness. When the man finally paused for breath, the Buddha said softly:

“If someone offers you a gift and you do not accept it, to whom does the gift belong?”

“To the one who offered it,” the man replied.

“Exactly,” said the Buddha. “So it is with your anger—I do not accept it. It remains yours.”

There is deep wisdom here for our moment…

We may not be facing huge anger, but we ARE facing people that have very strong views about what is happening right now in our country. I am paraphrasing Rev. Cameron Trimble’s words. But, I want to THANK the Rev. for sharing all of  his very powerful words threaded with my own. .

Not every gift must be received. Not every word spoken from another must be dignified with our energy. Not every performance deserves our participation. To not receive the gift of contempt is a sacred act of resistance. It is not passivity. It is presence. It is choosing not to mirror anger or cruelty, but instead deflect it so it CANNOT sit in our own body causing anxiety and stress. It is refusing to be governed by someone else’s narrative of misunderstanding.

We can be like the Buddha—grounded, discerning, still. We can hold our clarity like a flame in a windstorm. When we stop reacting to every “story” with accusations thrown in prejudicial anger and begin responding from spiritual depth, we reclaim our sacred SELF! We have the capacity to respond with our own Sacred WISDOM…and sometimes that means politely answering, “Isn’t that interesting. I don’t happen to agree with you, but it is okay…I’ll think it through as I process your words”

Here are some words you can say to yourself…during  meditations inside or outside your home.

“This is not mine. I return it to its source with compassion. I choose clarity, I choose presence. I choose peace.” Ground yourself through Nature or a simple walk in  your yard barefoot! (COLD feet feel amazingly exhilarating!) Breathe DEEPLY and often as you touch your heart reaching that beautiful space where your heart and brain are in coherence!

OR…YOU can likely come up with even more appropriate words for the situation knowing that you are likely facing a person you care about! Be KIND to yourself, keep LOVE in your heart, and always know there is another sun just rising over the rain of life.

“Our lives can be metabolically wise. Spiritually rooted. Discerning. Collective. Generous. Joyful. Courageous.”Reverend Cameron ends his words by saying, “We are in this together”…I TOTALLY agree!

We DO NOT need to accept every “gift”...it’s an idea that we need to keep in our minds as we work hard to make light appear into our LIVES! We will have difficult conversations with those that have ideas conflicting with our own. I think we can CALL on our own infinite WISDOM from within to help us discern what to say WHEN to help our lives. There are times we need to let people know our thoughts…but I don’t believe there is ever a reason to do it in an angry or vindictive way.

I’m going to end with a prayer that Rev. Cameron shared in his post.

Holy ONE,

In a world of baited hooks and bitter gifts, grant me the wisdom not to bite.

When the winds of cruelty howl, root me in compassion so deep no storm can rip me loose.

When insults are hurled like spears, wrap me in the armor of truth.

When I’m called to react, remind me: my strength lies not in fury, but in fierce clarity.

Let me not mirror what I resist. Let me not carry what is not mine. Let me respond-not from ego, but from the eternal law of love.

Spirits of peace, be my ground. Spirit of justice, be my fire. Spirit of compassion be my way.

Amen