on the slowly unfolding story of our lives

The Zen Master and the Little Boy

Once upon a time in a village in far away China, a little boy got a horse as a gift on his 14th birthday. All the villagers were delighted, and said, “how very wonderful.” 

But the Zen master saw this and said, “We shall see.”

Some months later, thieves came to the village and stole the boy’s horse. All the villagers came together, clicked their tongues, and said, “How very terrible.”

“We shall see,” said the Zen master.

Eventually, the thieves were caught and the horse was returned to the boy.   “How wonderful!” cried the villagers.  

“We shall see,” said the Zen master.

The next year, as the young boy rode his horse up the hill, he fell down and broke his leg. All the villagers came together, clicked their tongues, and said, “How very terrible.”

“We shall see,” said the Zen master.

A few years later all the young men in the village had to go to war. But because the young boy had bent his leg, he couldn’t go. All the villagers said, “This fellow is lucky.”

“We shall see,” replied the Zen master.

On the Slowly Unfolding Story of our Lives

I love the story of the Zen master and the little boy.  Wisdom, it reveals, is slow to make judgments.  Good or bad—we can’t judge it until we see the big picture, the end of the story.  Like today: the sun is shining and the waves are rolling in lazily at Ocean Beach.  It seems like a perfect day in Northern California.  

But in God’s view, we shall see.  Perhaps we are stuck on an island far out at sea, lazily eating lotus flowers and forgetting what we originally set out to do.   Perhaps what we view as paradise is simply an illusion, a detour from the Path. And perhaps tomorrow will bring a huge trial our way, but it will be a character-defining moment in our lives.

Life is always full of ups and downs, but “God works all things together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose”. I trust deeply that He has my best interest in mind, and that faith gets me through the hard times.

-Lisa Nelson

March 23, 2010

on scattering our hearts like seeds

On Scattering our Hearts like Seeds

Today on Facebook, my friend Marcy posted photos of a recent trip with her extended family.  Upon returning, she said, “I’m currently experiencing the strange sensation when your body travels faster than your heart.” I can relate to that sensation—loving people or places so much that it aches when you are apart.  

And that’s how life is. We leave pieces of our hearts scattered all over this world.  But they don’t diminish us.  They don’t fracture us beyond repair.  In fact, they are like little heart-seeds we plant in other people’s hearts.  I like to imagine that when we plant pieces of our hearts in others, or when other people plant pieces of their hearts in ours, those bits of our hearts grow up strong like a banyan tree and send down roots and grow out wider and wider and send down more roots, until they become gigantic banyan tree forests that offer shade and rest in the hearts of each other for years, and maybe even for generations to come.  

This is how we are all connected and how we all grow and flourish, how we  become more beautiful and strong and wise.

simple pleasures

Today is a celebration. It is a day in which I am learning, if I dare say it, to hear the voice of God. It began this morning, when I got into my car and felt a very clear impression that I should go back into the house for my laptop. For the life of me, I could think of no reason that I would need it at school today, but the impulse was strong, so I told God I trusted his memory more than mine, and went with it. Long about 7th period, I realized why I needed it. Five of my students had missed last week's PowerPoint lesson, and they needed to view it today. It was on my laptop, of course. Spirit of the Living God, it is the very small things that make me love you most, just knowing that You have my back, that you care about my lesson plans, even when I can't remember what they are.

After school, I rushed home to meet the landscapers, only to find they weren't here, and they needed to reschedule for tomorrow (sigh!). So I watered the herb garden and checked the mail . . . when what to my wondering eyes did appear . . . an IRS check for my taxes last year! Not only was it over a thousand dollars (thanks, Uncle Sam! You're the best!), it was also two full weeks earlier than expected. In fact, it arrived just 2 days before my next automatic bill would get paid that would have drained my checking account down to about 50 bucks, which would have needed to last for over a week until my next paycheck. So, with no landscapers to deal with today, I jumped in the car, dashed to the bank, and deposited said check with a huge smile on my face!

No longer a pauper until payday, I celebrated by filling my car up with gas, treating it to a nice bubbly car wash, and picking up sushi for dinner (for me, not the car). Ahh! Simple pleasures!

the aunties

My aunties are in town this week, and that means I am surrounded by greatness. Aunt Blanche just hit a milestone birthday recently. I think it was 80, but, honestly, she doesn't look a day over 67. She just retired a couple of months ago, has a terrific French manicure AND pedicure, loves to bake and take food to people who are shut in, and still enjoys sassing her little brother (my dad) when he needs it.

Aunt Linda, who's in her 60's, also retired recently, and spent her summer taking two different student groups to Costa Rica and France. Now she's on a road trip with my folks from Kansas to Tennessee and back, and they'll be here again in a couple of months, en route to D.C. and New York City to see the trees changing color this fall.

These ladies are machines! I hope I have their energy and love of life THIS year, let alone when I turn 60 or 70 or 80!!

Funerals and other Parties

On Saturday I went to a memorial service of my good friend's dad. After wrestling with cancer for six years, he passed away on Wednesday. At the funeral his grown children spoke about their father. He taught them to camp, fish, survive in nature, fix broken things, love people, make cream puffs, laugh, entertain, and never complain, even when cancer came and started stealing things away from him. He figured he'd had a better life than he deserved, and that all of it was a gift.

So we cried a little, but we also laughed a lot. Remembering a man who used to greet the garbage men with shots of tequila curbside means remembering some good times. At the end of the day, I was brimming over with the knowledge that I had been blessed just to know him.

Late Bloomer

Today was Career Day at the high school where I teach. That means teachers got the morning off, and we all got to hear guest speakers from various careers talk about what they do and what it takes to be a dentist, forensic scientist, professional musician, fireman, politician or food writer.

Now, after over twenty years as a demure school teacher, I finally know what I want to be when I grow up: a writer! And here's where it all begins--on my brand spanking new blog! I'm pretty sure that as I hone my craft in the daily discipline of writing, I'll quickly compile a huge fan base, get picked up by a publisher, and get my work made into a major motion picture! Ooooooor . . . I'll just enjoy writing. Which I do.  And maybe become a just a little bit more alive and aware in the process.

And so it begins . . . another day in the Big World.  Let the inspiration begin!