What we plant in the garden of contemplation, we will reap in the harvest of action.

— Meister Eckhart

Greetings, Inspired Seekers:

Are you ready?! Happy September – the month of new beginnings, crispy mornings and the shift of energies as we jump into our new school shoes. And, of course, this is the month when our calendars begin to fill up. Busy. Busy. Busy. Run. Run. Run.

We are not only the creators of our own action movie, we are the directors, producers and stars. The problem is that instead of a thoughtfully crafted and well written script, we charge ahead improvising at every turn, hoping that our budget, time and resources will be enough. We run, we fall onto the wrong path, we get lost, we get banged up and then we collapse. Oh, and, of course, we wonder why. What went wrong?

It is often, in this collapsed state, gazing at the film on the cutting room floor, that we pause and realize that something's got to give. And that something is us! For we are in this exhausted state, in part, because we have allowed ourselves to get caught up, once again, in action with little to no time for reflection. Yup. We did it again. We bought into busyness as a status symbol, our star on the Walk of Fame.

Reflection or meditation or contemplation is when we find the connection – the plot line – to The Beloved. It is the sound stage we find ourselves on, resting in the stillness in the shadow of the lone Light bulb, preparing to listen for the cues of holiness; it is the time when our heart opens and we surrender rather than schedule.

In these centering moments, our ego detaches and takes on the role of the understudy as the soul steps into stardom. Without this intermission, the drama of our lives becomes too exhausted and the plot too entangled and full of chaos. We miss the mystery of ourselves as works of art by The Divine Creator.

There is no doubt that this balance is a struggle. The only question is: Who is the real Director of our life story and how many plot twists will it take to deliver the art form of our life to its happy ending?

Grace, Always Yours,
Reverend Deborah

Question of the Month: How will you balance action and contemplation this month?

The Reverend Dr. Deborah Darlington creates individualized sacred celebrations for people of all traditions as well as for those of no tradition. She can be reached at GraceMatters@TheSpaceForGrace.com or at 215 260 1611.