harmonious balance

I had just got back home and was sending a message to a friend that I had not seen in awhile. This was what I wrote:

“I can honestly say I am the best I have been in a very long time. It has not been easy, as you know, this thing called life. It doesn’t necessarily get easier as one gets older, but I have less stress, less guilt, more peace and more hope than I have had in a long time.”

That was about 5:00 pm this past Wednesday. At 6:30 I went outside to walk to the nearby gas station. When I walked out my back patio, which leads to the parking lot, I was shocked at what I thought I saw and what I inevitably found to be true… my jeep had been spray-painted (tagged). A baby blue spray painted line zigzagged across the side of my jeep and my heart sank. I have owned and truly cared for my jeep for 11 years and in a window of 1-½ hours, before the sun had set, someone (I am pretty sure who did it, just cannot prove it) viciously vandalized it.

This isn’t about poor me. My point is that I had reflected on 2011 and stated in an update how at peace I had felt and within an hour of writing that, this act of evil happened. What I noticed next raised my curiosity. I realized I did not get as mad as I thought I would have or as mad as I would have in the past. I had been feeling better, closer to God, more at peace on my path, some life questions and struggles had been answered, lifted from my heart and I saw things with a better perspective. So, I thought maybe this was why I wasn’t so mad. I was hurt and bummed, but not angry.  Then I remembered something I have always said, “When you feel you have reached a new level, you will only be sure the next time you are tested” and that is exactly how I felt. Lately, I have been learning and trying my best to “Be thankful in all circumstances” but how could I be after my jeep had been tagged? The first thought was that I was thankful I did not get angry and went to seek out revenge, which I totally would have done in the past. Then I thought I can still drive it, I still have my health and there was a spare garage that I could keep it in, protecting it from further vandalism. I did a search on the web on how to get spray paint off a car and then I tried my best with the tactic listed, but to no avail. As I was about to give up, two brothers and neighbors happened to be outside, both car guys and one a mechanic. I shared the story of what happened and before I knew it they were at my garage with 3 or 4 different chemicals and solutions and for the next hour we worked on removing the paint. Although not perfect, by the end the baby blue line had disappeared. The remnants of it ruined parts of my jeep especially the door, but I was quickly able to put that into perspective as well. Then I became very thankful for the brothers that happened to be outside at 10:00 at night, with all the knowledge and product to assist when I needed it the most.

By the next morning I had come to a place of peace. I was even able to forgive the person whom I believed to be responsible in my heart - another gift I was thankful for. It changed how I felt and prepared me for my day. When it first happened I thought of canceling the next day, so I could sit around bumming out about poor me. Now, I had turned it around into another positive story that I would share with my clients and those I came into contact with. Then I was thankful for that. Soon after, I realized it would be the topic for this Sunday’s message. 

We will be tested when we least expect it, in an area we would rather not be tested in and that is why it is called a test. The work I have done on myself lately (and my whole life) prepared me for the next test. Although it is something I would never have wanted, it had happened and how I dealt with it was solely up to me. I went from being bummed considering canceling my day to a feeling of empowerment that I didn’t let this moment or this act of evil take me from my path. I quickly, faster than I ever have before, turned it into a positive story to share with those I came into contact with. The best was the next day. I knew God was in control. I knew I could only worry about me and how I reacted. I had to turn my gaze inward to see how I wanted to handle this. What was going to happen to the one responsible was in God’s hands. The person responsible and his family received a 30-day notice to move out. The problems that family has will continue to be their challenge wherever they live. It just won’t be next to me. My jeep is not perfect, but it never was. I am not perfect and never will be but, I love where my faith has led me and I thank God for the challenges He has put on my path because they have only made me stronger. I believe He has challenged me in ways that I could learn and grow from, thus enabling me to share my stories with others, affecting them, as I have always wanted to do and as I am able to do in this message. I want to embrace what happens, because it is happening. How I choose to react is up to me.

“We only suffer when our thoughts argue with what is. When the mind is perfectly clear, what “is” is what we want. When I argue with reality, I lose. But only 100% of the time.”

- Byron Katie (from her book “Four Questions”)

COMING SOON: The Pro You Podcast!!! I will keep you posted and feel free to email me with any questions, tests, challenges you may have at: tom@proyoupodcast.com :-)