One of the great mysteries of our faith is the recognition that we are loved for what and who we are and we are forgiven. At a basic level this may seem unrealistic or impossible. So we ask, why is it so difficult for us to accept total love and acceptance. In the ordinary course of life we find in ourselves a kind of acceptance of our flaws, although it might involve some ignorance or denial of our bigger problems. But complete acceptance of the totality of our being is actually impossible at the level of our mind. It has to come from a higher level, from a consciousness that’s both within us and far beyond us at a time. The mind alone cannot answer the question of the heart.
A Place To Meditate, Think, and Pray
Dear Webb,
I was moved by this posting, and felt compelled to respond. At the risk of repeating something I said several months ago, an important consideration of the lives we were created to live is that we were all perfectly created to be imperfect. The flaws we carry were by design, and there is nothing to be ashamed of, embarrassed by, forgiven for. They just represent the areas in our life we are called to learn from, embrace, and work toward resolution. I believe this even applies to the mistakes we’ve made in our lives – those that plague our conscience and drag us down.
The truth is, we are who we are today because of the path we’ve taken, the choices we’ve made, and the imperfections we were created with. And through ongoing efforts with personal and spiritual growth, we will continue to evolve toward becoming the person we were created to be. I fully agree with you that we can’t do this by willing it through our mind. It requires a deep heart connection.
Life may be a struggle, but I’m continually drawn back to a Rumi quote: “Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving – it doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times. Come, come again, come.”
Your friend,
Tom