Terry Paul Choyce
December 10, 2006, Brunswick Street United Church
I have just had an unusually stressful two weeks. It seemed like I was caught in a storm of chaos, and every day it would rain down a new problem or concern. To get through this without getting totally drenched in tears, I had to find ways to keep inwardly stable, when my outside life was blowing in the wind.
We all have times like these - times when nothing seems to go smoothly, and nothing is really your fault. It is during these times of stress and confusion that we need to have personal tools to keep our inner peace and stability. We each have one or more healthy ways that we can take care of ourselves when we are upset. Some of us have a friend or family member or counsellor who can help us, or at least listen to us gripe, and calm us down. Talking does help. It helps me to write all my frustrations out in my journal. Some of us take long walks in nature, some relax in the tub, some escape in a movie or a good book, some throw themselves into work, some can go on a holiday, and some take the phone off the hook and go into quiet retreat. All of these tactics work to an extent. But where ever you go, and what ever you do, you have to take your mind with you. So if your mind is caught in a chaotic, painful loop, you will not really relax and enjoy anything you do to feel better.
I own a lovely little book called Inner Space: A Book of Hope for Busy People by Anthea Church. She writes: "This book is written in faith. It trusts that in all of the odds of an overactive mind and an overcrowded life, one can find serenity, if one knows the way." (P.11)
She says the "way" is to turn to God through prayer and/or meditation, to help you find inner peace that lasts and sustains you through even the harshest storm. She, and many, many others of every faith, talk about the importance of having spiritual practices which help your mind to calm down and your heart to open to love.
We all know the hymn "What a Friend we Have in Jesus." It says "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry, everything to God in Prayer." When we open ourselves to Divine guidance, and we know how to listen to it, and act upon it, our lives will become more peaceful, even when we are caught in the occasional hurricane. Because storms come to us all. It is how we handle them that makes the difference in our lives.
Last week in my yoga class we discussed how complicated our minds are. We concluded that each of us has four "voices" inside us. One voice is our ego, which tends to be selfish, pleasure-driven, ambitious and needs constant positive reinforcement. The ego cares about its own happiness, not anyone else's. It drives you to be too busy, to want more possessions, to have power over others, to be the centre of your own universe. We all need our egos, but in small doses - not as the major force in our lives.
Then you have the voice of negativity. This is the self -talk that says you are not good enough, or smart enough , or strong enough, or rich enough, etc. It is the voice that focuses on all of the bad stuff in your life, and in the world. It is the voice of defeatism. You are "told" to give up before you even start. Every problem is a huge obstacle, so why even try to make goals or have dreams. Life is too complicated and cruel, so just endure it and complain. This is the voice of fear, worry, and hatred. This voice destroys our self-confidence and our ability to be the best we can be.
My friend Kate in my yoga class says she is plagued by her "should" voice. This is the part of your mind that tells you you ought to do things, accomplish things, and when you ignore this voice, you feel guilty. I have a very loud "should voice." Much of my chaos is caused by my daily conflict with doing what I want to do, and what a part of me says I should do. So I spend a lot of my time doing things out of obligation, and this does not really make me happy. I have a huge sense of responsibility, and this causes me to take on more than I can comfortably handle. So I end up burning myself out doing things that I don't want to do, and often, don't really need to do.
Our fourth voice is the one most of us listen to the least. It is our inner divine voice. This is the part of us that is accessed through prayer and meditation and silence. It is only when we slow down and concentrate on hearing the voice of God within us, that we find true peace. When we can slow down our pace and slow down our minds, then we can have an inner knowing of what we should do to solve our problems and to find happiness. As the hymn says "Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer." If you have a daily sacred practice, you will have the greatest resource in the world to solving your problems and feeling in control of your life, and in oneness with all of creation.
When the angels spoke to the shepherds they said " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill to all men." (Luke 2:15) They told the shepherds that a child was born that day in Bethlehem that would be Christ the Lord. This was the child who had been promised to the Israelites, to help them overcome their problems. At that time Israel was under Roman rule, and many people were killed and treated cruelly. It was a very horrible time, and the Jews were in need of a saviour. But Jesus did not come to oust the Romans. He came to teach the Jews, and all of us, about finding the peace of God within, which would help us live lives of love. When on the inside we are feeling peaceful and loving, we can much better handle any adversity that comes our way. Jesus came to save us from our inner fears, confusion, and oppression. When we feel free and happy, we can handle the problems that come our way more efficiently and effectively. And it is only by connecting ourselves to the voice of God that is in each of us, that we can truly be saved from the storms of the world.
I will end with the reading that Elenora shared with us today from the book of Numbers (6:24-26):
24 The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Praise be the Lord
©Terry Paul Choyce. Used with permission from the author.
