camouflaged beauty
Jim January 10th, 2009
There’s that person again who annoys you.
Or the person who once hurt you.
Or the person who still wields the power to wound you by what they say or what they don’t.
There’s that person who makes you angry.
Or the one who is so irresponsible.
There’s the person who deserves what they got.
Or the one who should be locked away forever.
Or the one who never learns.
There’s the person with the crappy attitude.
Or the one who offends you.
Or the one who pushes your buttons.
Or the one who acts out of hate.
There’s the person you hold responsible.
There’s the person who is your enemy.
But alas, your eyes are opened. You see past their face, past their attitude, past their actions, past their history, past the way they now are, past any judgments you or others might have held of them…and you spot someone beautiful waiting to be born.
(photo by zoo gal)
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Beautiful…thank you so much for your words. It reminds me of another post on beauty: http://tinyurl.com/8dyhct
It is said, when we dislike someone or are in conflict with someone, it is most likely that they are just like us…
Love Like Him,
G.B.U.
Michael
That is love personified.
Oh yes, and that one with whom we/I have conflict is probably physically very close to me on almost a daily basis. I try so hard to overcome our differences, to meet on the same level, but each time no matter how good my intentions, I get caught out. I say something, think something that that other person ‘picks up on’ and there’s no hope of REAL peace, REAL LOVE. That other person, is in fact, the perfect person for me to have near me in order to take me deeper spiritually. Without that person I’d be contentedly coasting along. As I see it, the way to be reconciled to ‘that person’, and I want to be, is to see that he/she is showing me, something in me, that represents the next step in my spiritual walk.
…and sometimes that person is myself….. sometimes I’m the one I need to cut some slack for, accept more, be more patient with…
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…. sometimes, just as I can see my own pain, fear or angst driving my less favorable behaviour – I begin to wonder – what pain, fear, angst or insecurity is behind the behaviour or attitude of another who seems to be pushing my buttons? What is going on with ME that I am seeking things a certain way….. so YA – i seek to more and more see OUT with God’s eyes in me – to see withGrace Eyes…
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I have been reflecting on a couple of quotes today re this blog and another thing:
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a) “When we’re in the presence of another person, we’re on holy ground
God is at work in that person, too” Eugene Peterson
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b) “The strongest and brightest of us are fragile as a floating bubble, unsteady as a newborn kitten on a waxed kitchen floor”. Lewis Smedes
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This blog post is like church for a few weeks….. lots to reflect upon.
Thanks Jim.
Thank you. This is what I need now…
Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all had eyes to see the beauty in each other?
There’s a saying, ‘worst enemy, best teacher’ that I’ve found to be true in my own life. I used to spend a lot of time reacting to (resisting) the antics of one, particular relative of mine. Before I knew it, I’d let my negative thoughts run away with me whenever I knew there was a upcoming family function where I’d see this person. But, when I took the focus off resisting the other person (the worst enemy part) and on to the ‘best teacher’ part, I freed myself up to see what lessons I could learn from my strong reaction to them. And, it’s usually a spiritual lesson that’s presenting itself for me to learn. Now, I’m much more able to detach myself from getting hooked like I did in the past…and ‘let it be’. Sometimes that’s the lesson in itself!
It’s now becoming obvious for many of us that we can connect with two worlds.
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There’s the one we know so well. That’s the one that has shaped us since birth. Our upbringing, the environment we’ve lived in and the random events that turn us in various directions throughout our lives. Then there is the effect of our discussions with others and out of this we gradually form our own beliefs and conclusions about the world and life.
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But as we all know it’s not so easy to accommodate people who don’t choose to see things the same way we do. In fact it’s very very difficult with some isn’t it? It seems as though it would be impossible to get any real lasting true unity with the masses on that level. And it is! We will never tidy up our human differences on that level. Just look around us in our so called enlightened society. What a mess! We need a common meeting ground and to be able to start all over again.
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Perhaps our wishes are coming true? Something is now happening. Our eyes are opening and we are becoming aware of quite a new and different me that is somehow living deep within us. But not only us! As we go there ourselves we become more and more conscious that that same unifying “me” flows through everyone else too. In fact, it seems, all of us on this planet! Even the ones who can really get up our noses! You can sense that stream of love and unity flowing through them too, even though they may choose to ignore it.
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And there it is. If we can go there and reach out to others from that source deep within us we’ll help raise it up in them too, and then we’ll see that momentarily deep smile of recognition and sparkling eyes well up from deep within them. They probably won’t understand and wonder where that came from, but never mind, we’re on the way. It’s starting to trigger something within them too.
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There’s a wonderful world with an amazing potential just around the corner. And it couldn’t be coming any sooner for most of us. Let’s help each other to get there.
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We no longer judge according to the flesh. (Our carnal natural minds). We judge according to the spirit.
It feel good Brian – I want to GROW in HIM!!! Prior to me hearing the term
“NAMASTE” from Jim’s book, I as introduce to it by another. When I read
about Jim’s experience in learing about it thru his friend in Divine Nobodies, it rang at a deeper level for me.
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Although i may not fully appreciate the full meaning of the term – I first learned it as ” I honour the Divine in you – that part where the Divine in me meets the Divine in you and we are on a level playing field’. I LOVE THAT!!! I dont’ KNOW it to the depth of reality that I desire, but for me, it is none-the-less a statment of trust and faith – letting God grow that up in me. I think that if each of us could grasp this in it’s fullness, there would be peace on earth.
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The more I recall this term the less likely I am to “react”- esp if i’m feeling stressed – like a noisy work environment running around working up a sweat – juggling balls and meeting everyone’s needs as quickly as possible while forgoing potty and coffee stops, only to have a mom say, “WELL……i’ts about TIME you got in here”…. : ). My work gives me ENDLESS opportunity to practise “Namaste”….. cause when I can detach from what’s within me causing a “reaction” – like Jane was talking about – then I can usually , if not always say, “VICKI this isn’t about you, it’s about whatever fear, concern, fatique, anxiety, etc, is driving that person’s behaviour”. Can i respond with love, respect and honour? I MUST get past my own overdeveloped tendancy to get my feelings hurt SO easily……THAT keeps me from “Namaste” sometimes. To me, the more I’m complete in Him , the less I’ve got to do anything but love. And that, to me, is very exciting!
Thank you for your beautiful (or should I say handsome or something..since you are a guy and all) words. I have been thinking about this idea lately. How do I show love to people that embody so much of what I do not want to be? It is not up to me so much I guess but the Love of God living through me. Thank goodness it is not all up to me!