HUMILITY MONTH: DAY 25: “Every tribulation that we accept patiently is good and profitable; but if we do not accept it patiently, it drives us away from God and serves no useful purpose. When this happens, there is only one cure-humility. The humble man censures and blames himself and no one else when he suffers affliction. Consequently, he patiently awaits for God to release him, and when this happens he rejoices and gratefully endures whatever comes; and through his experience of these things he gains spiritual knowledge.” – St. Peter of Damascus
I am quite surprised to find a quote by St. Peter that fits into the theme I have in mind for humility and Step 6. Having been raised in Catholic schools and well-indoctrinated into that church, I am seldom going to resonate with the saints.
BUT there are some teachings that I do find useful and that help me with spiritual concepts. Most of them are found with St. Christopher or St. Francis. They were more my kind of people. Anyway, this quote really works for me.
I have learned in this time around the marble that every so-called tribulation in my life has led me to a big spiritual awakening. I have learned and grown in them all. That is why they are such gifts to me. They brought lessons and teachings when I am careful to remove Ego from the equation. That does not always happen right away.
More and more frequently, as the years have passed, I have been able to sit still with these times of not knowing what is happening or why and allow the experience to just BE. We all struggle with this I know. It is our strongest instinct to fight and/or run or just freeze. Instinct driven by what we believe about what is happening.
We do learn, as we work these steps over and over, that we can become more sensitive to spirit and sit with the experience without judging whether or not we like it. Just allowing life to be life is an interesting challenge we are all here to learn. And that is where God sits anyway…right smack dab in the middle of life as it is going on. I have quit yelling WTF? at God and just learned to say Thanks….at least more often than I used to. It is a process…and a great one!
Dolphin Hug 