As the spiritual leader of a Flint church, I know that t is difficult, sometimes, for people to find their individual center and discover the Inner Peace that resides there. It seems that the more “personal” a situation is for us, that is to say, the more of the “ego” that is involved, the harder it is for us to let go of whatever it is and take the sacred “ego-free” journey within. A case in point, the other day as I settled myself to meditate, a family issue came to mind. The more I “tried” to forget about it by telling myself that “somehow” it would be resolved in the future, the more it remained in in the forefront of my mind and the more agitated I became.
What I discovered during this mental discomfort of “deferred resolution” was that all sorts of other problems that needed “fixing” came to mind as well, seeming to feel “right at home” in the chaotic space I’d created. It was a “Catch 22″ situation, the more I tried to solve each problem, the more problematic they became!
Then these questions came to mind: What if the problems in my life were already resolved? What if the love that felt lost to me was already present? What if all that I tried so hard to know and understand in my life were already known to me and the striving was over? What if every duty had already been met, every task had already been accomplished?…Then…from the sublime to the ridiculous…a segment of The Daily Show, John Hodgman’s “You’re Welcome,” came to mind. If you’ve never seen this particular segment on The Daily Show, suffice it to say that in it John Hodgman is accepting the world’s “thank you’s” for solving a variety of still-to-be-solved issues.
I began to slowly and deeply breathe in and out, imagining that I was breathing from a space where my life was already perfectly resolved into bliss. As I did this, the feeling of being rather than becoming pulled me into my center. I could have sworn I heard a Still Small Voice whisper, “You’re Welcome,” and it filled me with delight and extraordinary peace.
As I completed my meditation, sitting in the peaceful sanctuary of one of the loveliest Flint metaphysical churches in the area, I could see a double meaning in the whispered “You’re Welcome.” Not only was everything resolved, known, and complete in that inner place of peace, but it was a place where I was always “welcome.” Come unto me and I will give you rest.
Tags: Flint church, Flint metaphysical churches, inner peace, John Hodgman, meditation
