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anna's avatar

Thank you for all these nurturing and calming thoughts; I'm not mad, then, to share the suspicion that I'm running on a program that's not really beneficial and that it is within my power to discover the patterns and let them go. I stopped my life some 15 years ago because l found it deeply mediocre on a soul level. Divorce, ended my career, sold the house etc. But l did it alone, l read, meditate and look at the sea on my own, a hermit living in a small town in England.

Reading your post, all was well, very well indeed, l felt connected to your thoughts until l came to the last few sentences; you cannot stare into the abyss alone. You need an elder to guide you. But what if there isn't anyone there for a one to one guidance? I have looked. Do YouTube Gurus count?

I'm not stopping staring into the Abyss no matter what, but perhaps l should take out an insurance?

Greetings from

Worried of Smalltown

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Diana Bailey's avatar

I will join you in "Pascal's challenge."

This is the season of Advent, which encourages us to reflect on the second coming of Christ, so necessary to consider in this dark world. This is the season when believers ask, "Why so long, O Lord? When will the sorrow and misery cease for your children?"

I am a little surprised that your reflection on 'infinite distraction' does not include the third agency in this world, the power of evil, the Satan, the ruler of this world. In the New Testament, there are three entities or powers: God the creator of the world, the Enemy who controls this world today, and the human beings and creatures who find themselves held in captivity. We experience distraction because we battle spiritual forces arrayed against us. "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:12” It is only the power and love of God who defeats the forces of evil and gives us the mystical assurance of the Lord's presence, the FIRE Pascal experienced for two hours in 1654.

Thanks for writing and best wishes on sitting. I remember a poster in high school that said, "sometimes I sit and think, sometimes I just sit." It's taken me years to realize the second may be more valuable.

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