When you have learned how to decide with God, all decisions become as easy and as right as breathing. . .

Every morning I participate in a phone conference with eight or ten women and we discuss a spiritual passage from a book that we all read together on the call.  This morning’s message was the title of this blog and reading it gave me such comfort.  I fought the idea of letting God be in charge for so many years, in childhood and as an adult.  He simply didn’t cross my mind with much frequency which seems strange to recall since He crosses my mind multiple times a day now.  And if his presence lived in the frontal lobe of my mind, I’d never be at a loss for what to say or think or do.  Patience and prayer will make the connection more constant, however.  This I know to be a fact.

What great comfort I enjoy now, virtually every day.  And I know when the comfort isn’t there that it’s my failing to connect.  God didn’t move away. The inner turmoil that hounded me as a child is still fresh in my mind, however, perhaps because I am writing a memoir; but I also know that like alcoholism, turmoil sits on my shoulder and waits for the opportunity to claim me again unless I am being vigilant and living in a way that prevents it from taking over.

What are some of those ways that insure the connection?  I can’t speak for others. I’m sure we all have ways that we’ve practiced over the years that work best for us.  But I’d like to share what works for me because saying it here, to all of you who are reading this, makes me more accountable.  You are witnessing my journey and that strengthens it.

First and foremost, I carefully look at and listen to the person standing before me, whomever he or she is.  I commit to remembering that our encounter is divine and within the encounter is the lesson we each have asked to be shown. To the best of my ability I try to follow the simple guidance of Mother Teresa when she said: Be kind to every one and begin with the person standing next to you.  It takes all the guess work out of what to say or think or do when I adhere to her words and I’m convinced that she got her guidance  directly from God. It’s trustworthy.

And I practice remembering that peace begins with me.  If I want to enjoy peaceful encounters with others, I have to be intentionally peaceful.  I no longer find this very hard.  Just perhaps I am learning to listen to the God of my understanding.  Hallelueia.