Play
the Hand
“Each
player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are
in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order
to win the game.”
Voltaire
Last
Sunday in the spirituality group, we considered some of the Taoist
teachings Harry received during his retreat week. One of them had to
do with accepting life on its own terms. According to the Teacher,
there is no good or bad, only what is, and when we accept what life
deals us without labels, we will cease to suffer. This week, I have
pondered the truth of that.
Life
does deal the cards. We are born with certain strengths and
weaknesses, some gifts, some handicaps. We suffer losses and enjoy
gains, live through boredom and poverty of spirit, revel in love and
abundance, and experience sickness and health. Life on life's terms
can change from joyous to devastating in a nanosecond, and there is
not one single thing we can do to prevent it. The events themselves
can cause us great pain, or overwhelming joy, but in the end, it is
our choice as to how we play the hand.
I
wish I could say that I have achieved the spiritual maturity to
accept life on life's terms. I haven't. I still rail at the darkness
and even accept the gift of happiness with suspicion. Trust and
gladness don't come easy to me. But I have hope of getting there in
this lifetime. Hope and faith are forces greater than darkness and
can carry us even when life seems headed down a wrong path.
Labeling
the events of our lives as good or bad is, to me, human nature. No
one loves to suffer—at least, no one I know. Radical acceptance of
life's tendency to change from good to bad and back again, is a step
in the right direction. It helps to know that these twists and turns
are not personal, not because we are singled out to suffer unjustly,
or because we're being tested by God. Life is just life—it's not
for sissies. Each of us must play the hand we are dealt, and winning
(or losing) is always possible.
In
the spirit,
Jane
No comments:
Post a Comment