Saturday, November 9, 2013

The Challenges of Saying YES to THE UNIVERSE

When saying YES! becomes a challenge


My purple haired daughter and Yoda

As a teacher of Metaphysics it is important to practice what I teach. Last Sunday, The Universe challenged me. I wanted to say NO!


Our minds attempt to figure things out. Our ego tells us, "You can't", or it isn't possible or That is not in your best interest." When we are figuring things out in our brain we are in our ego. Being enlightened does not mean we are not human, we are aware when we are in our ego. The ego is mostly quiet, but does rear its ugly figuring out head once in a while. 

My daughter is now 17. She has been striving, working and doing well in her senior year. This is not a typical senior year for her as she changed schools three times and moved 1,500 miles all within this school year. The grief of her father's death hit her and she is now back on track and will actually graduate early - ahead of her peers back in Colorado. She is on track to graduate in February. She has already been accepted to the Art Institute of Colorado and will begin culinary school in July of 2014. I promised her that whenever she graduates, she can move back to Colorado where all her friends are and her life is. California is just a moment in time, the place where she is finishing up her high school career. She goes to school and comes home and does her homework. She does not socialize and is longing to resume her life back in Colorado. Why is all of this germane? 

One small thing can change EVERYTHING

Knowing how little time my daughter and I have together, I do my best to make our time alone count. We spend quality time together and often go out to eat breakfast so we can communicate across the table, making eye contact and talking heart-to-heart. After breakfast last Sunday, November 3rd, a day that God said would be significant in my life, we drove out the back alley exit on our way home. As I rounded the corner a tiny black male puppy no more than a pound in weight purposefully made his way to our car. My first thought was if its a girl, we can't take him. Karma hates other female dogs. Knowing there are no accidents and hearing in my head, "Pick him up!" I knew we had to take him home. My mind was saying, "You are about to be free! You don't need a puppy! You must be out of your mind! What they heck are you thinking? You are in the middle of writing a book, you know what your schedule is like when you are writing! Then you will be writing your third book, you don't have the time or energy to devote to house breaking a puppy!" Then I heard God say to me, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." There was no question. My mind could do mental masturbation all day long. I had to follow my heart not my head. It is what I teach. 


My mind was telling me the exact opposite of what my guidance was telling me. Before we took the puppy home, I directed Ariel to find the owners. She walked around the corner and found their door opened. There were three of them occupying an office as an apartment. As Ariel approached their door a two-year old was outside their closed door holding a package of Ritz crackers and chewing on the unopened paper. Ariel knocked on the door and found the mother of the child wiping milk out of her hair. The man and woman were very depressed. Ariel asked, "Is this your puppy?" The woman said it was and that they had 5 - 4 week old puppies. Ariel came back to the car saying, "She told me to just take him." It was sad the way these people were living. No wonder the puppy wandered off, he knew to survive he had to get out. It was difficult for Ariel seeing the way they were living and how sad they were. 


There were not many options. I knew in my heart that this puppy would die by the end of the day if we didn't take him. He chose us. There was no doubt about it. My concern was Karma, our wonder dog. She has been my dedicated best four-legged friend for 12 years. We rescued her when she was about 2 years old. She was getting on in age and I didn't want to have this little whipper snapper usurp her place in our home or hearts. We all know how puppies can steal your hearts though.

Karma
This little Dachshund, Chihuahua mix-breed puppy has stolen our hearts. He has also created chaos in our home. The first three nights we were both awake every two hours while he cried and snarled and growled wanting someone to hold him. My daughter and I awoke with blood-shot eyes like we had both been on a bender. I assure you, we weren't. By the fifth morning, Ariel woke up and said, he didn't wake up at all! Not true, he just barely had to whine and I was stumbling out of bed, putting on my slippers and robe, grabbing the little guy and taking him outside for his potty break. 
Yoda


Karma had only snapped at him twice and he totters after her learning how to be a big dog. Karma has a new lease on life and has begun to play with the little guy. After seeing his little "Y" on his chest and belly we realized his name had to be YODA!

One thing is for sure, God knows way better than we do what we need. We may not get what we want, but we always get what we need.

The following prayer was sent to me by a client it says it all:

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Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals, especially for animals who are suffering; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death.  We entreat for them all thy mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words.  Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals and so to share the blessings of the merciful. 

Albert Schweitzer, Humanitarian