It occurs to me that there is a bigger theme today than even what I have found in my writing. Yes, this is (again) about seeing, as several recent posts have been. But the underlying theme is actually do not judge by appearances. There is always something more going on. Tune in to the bigger picture, the picture you can’t see. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux: That which is essential cannot be seen with the eyes.

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Guiding Thought

When you are aware of your Self of Love, you see the world through new eyes. Love is the Source of all you see, all you experience; it is the very activity of Life itself. Place your faith in the principle of Love and receive with gratitude all your experiences.

Reflection

I was at the same light this morning, going the other direction, the third car in line. It takes about 5-10 minutes to get through the light in the morning, too–I’d been in line for almost 10 minutes already. The light turned green, no one moved.

You know that is unforgivable in New Jersey. When the light turns green in New Jersey, you have exactly half a second to start moving, before someone blows their horn and yells at you, generally accompanied by a gesture.

I noticed the light was green, just as the person behind me laid on their horn, the two cars ahead of me then started moving–we, the first three cars, were all turning right.

While the light was still red, I had been looking around, taking in the surroundings, as I so often do at that light. It’s quite quaint, really, a main light is a small town with a lot of small-town morning activity of people walking and biking and getting coffee at the little cafe. During this survey while the light was still red, I had noticed a man walking his dog, on the far side of the street. As I made my turn, I saw that same man and dog, on the near-side of the street–they had crossed, which is why none of the cars ahead of me moved; they were waiting for the man and dog to cross.

There was a reason the cars had not moved immediately when the light turned green. I saw it. I understood. The person behind me, who blew their horn, was not in that line of vision; they were just far enough back (or not surveying their surroundings) that they did not or could not see what was happening ahead, and so became angry at the situation, at the cars which were not moving.

And I thought about sight, as applied to this very literal example: The person in the car behind me could not see what was happening ahead.

How often do I not see what is happening just ahead? How often do I not see Love as the Source? How often do I not see Love at the very center of everything I experience? How often do I not see Love as the very activity of Life itself? How often am I back just one car too many, that I do not understand what is going on ahead? If I could only see…

And this is why Faith is important. Because we cannot always see Love’s reason’s. We cannot always see what Love has in store for us. But, Love always loves us, and has our best interest at heart. So, why be angry? Why get frustrated? Keep Faith in Love, and be grateful for everything that comes, because everything is Love’s gift, whether you see it or not.

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For those of you who would like a more (strictly) Christian view on this, I have this to offer, from Julian of Norwich:

One time our good Lord said: All thing shall be well; and another time he said: Though shalt see thyself that all MANNER of thing shall be well…

He willeth we know that not only He taketh heed to noble things, and to great, but also to little and to small, to low and to simple, to one and to other. And so meaneth He in that He saith  “ALL MANNER OF THINGS shall be well”. For He willeth we know that the least thing shall not be forgotten…

Another understanding is this, that there be deeds evil done in our sight, and so great harms taken, that it seemeth to us that it were impossible that ever it should come to good end.

And upon this we look, sorrowing and mourning therefore, so that we cannot resign us unto the blissful beholding of God, as we should do. And the cause of this is that the use of our reason is now so blind, so low, so simple that we cannot know that high, marvelous Wisdom, the Might, and the Goodness of the blissful Trinity.

And thus signifieth He when He saith: THOU SHALT SEE THYSELF and all manner of things shall be well. As if He said, “Take now heed faithfully and trustingly, and at the last end, thou shalt verily see it in Fullness of Joy”.  (Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love, Skyros publishing, Chapter 32, emphasis mine)