I woke up filled with renewed purpose this morning. I woke up feeling strong and confident, and young. I talked with God, and She told me that She’s counting on me, depending on me, trusting me to express her Being – Her love. She told me to “buck up” – those were Her very words – and get on with what I need to do, and to stop getting distracted by anything that takes me from my job. I have important work, She told me. I have a mission of love to fulfill – and there is not a moment to waste.
God said, “Nothing can stop you from loving, and being loved.”
Nothing has the power to stop us from loving one another. There’s no border, boundary, wall or lie, no person, place, or thing, no history, ethnicity, religion or king, that has the power to stop us from loving one another.
I wake and feel Love calling to me – inviting me to commune with Her in the still of the night. “All is well,” comes Her reassurance. “All is Love.” And I feel it. I feel my connection to all of creation – to every tree, stone, and being – in the still of the night, enfolded in the arms of Love.
I wake up and reach for my phone to find the time and moments later I’m bobbing along in the Eff Bee whitewater with my fellows posters – good morning, world! – and I’m trying to dodge the flotsam and jetsam of a culture that seems Intent on keeping the world’s hatred and fear fueled. I’m dodging words: “libtard” and “Karen” and “POS” and “asshat” – and there’s talk of violence – mob mentality – coming from both sides – all sides – and, of course, there’s the logjams of the “experts” appearing periodically to provide background info on the history of Nazis and the Civil War. I was a history major myself and I can relate to the urge to show off my expertise on these things, but my intuition is telling me that, for the people flailing in the whitewater with me, now is not the time to pause to give a history lesson – maybe we can do that later when we reach a quiet eddy in the river. Right now the roiling current pulls us towards the boulders – tribalism, greed, me-firstness, bigotry, bullying, ego – and I point my feet down the river as the whitewater guides told me to do – and I choose to keep my survival simple for myself – Love. Love is my lifevest. Keep it simple. I don’t have to choose sides or who to love. Keep it simple. I choose Love – all-encompassing, all-enveloping, universal, unconditional, all-inclusive Love. I let Love guide me through the whitewater.
-Karen Molenaar Terrell
Below: Anderson Creek. Photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell.
His words angered the bigots, the bullies, the hateful, and greedy. When he forced them to look at themselves and see their own flaws, he triggered their hate. When he told them to love their neighbors, feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and heal the sick, they accused him of all the evil they saw in themselves. He agitated their egos, stirred the stagnant waters, brought cleansing sunlight to the mold of their thoughts. And their little egos were not happy about this. “What have we to do with thee? Leave us alone!” they cried. But he loved them too much to be silent and let them be.
His unyielding love for all God’s children exposed their own hate and incensed them. He was spat on, struck, ridiculed, and crucified for his love.
But he rose on the third day and made breakfast for those who loved him.
Because Love always wins. – Karen Molenaar Terrell
“If you venture upon the quiet surface of error and are in sympathy with error, what is there to disturb the waters? What is there to strip off error’s disguise?
“If you launch your bark upon the ever-agitated but healthful waters of truth, you will encounter storms. Your good will be evil spoken of. This is the cross. Take it up and bear it, for through it you win and wear the crown.” – Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 254
“The “still, small voice” of scientific thought reaches over continent and ocean to the globe’s remotest bound. The inaudible voice of Truth is, to the human mind, “as when a lion roareth.” It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear. It arouses the “seven thunders” of evil, and stirs their latent forces to utter the full diapason of secret tones. Then is the power of Truth demonstrated, – made manifest in the destruction of error.” Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 559
I’m living in a soggy Christmas just like the ones I’ve known before where toddlers jump in puddles and puppies give wet cuddles and muddy boots are lined up by the door.
Oh, I’m living in a sloshy Christmas with a fire burning in the stove and my tea is steaming and Christmas movies are streaming and family’s here for a good coze.
I’m living in a soggy Christmas with every Christmas card I write, “May the raindrops pitter-patter and our dreams for peace matter, and may all our Christmases be bright.”
We are words in the same poem. We are notes in the same song. We are cells of the same body. We are rays of the same sun. We are brushstrokes in the same painting. We’re all a part of the One.
We sit at a table outside the restaurant and chat and watch people pass by and there is magic out there!
A young man with a bright smile walks by, holding a small bouquet. I smile at him and point to the flowers, and he grins and says, “A first date.” “That’s so sweet!” I say, and his smile gets even brighter.
A little chap of three or four walks by with his mom and he turns and looks at me and I wave. He waves back, serious about our exchange – a little man. My heart melts.
A woman passes by with her grandbaby – she sees our grandma faces light up and brings her little one to our circle so we can share in her grandmother-joy. She is not called “Grandma” she tells us – she is “Nanna” and she is enjoying her last days with her grandbaby before he moves to the east coast with his parents. All of our grandbabies live out of state and we understand what she’s feeling right now. “Enjoy these precious moments,” I say, and she nods and smiles and hugs her grandbaby close before moving on.
At the table next to us there is a baby in a stroller and she smiles at me and gives me high fives with both her feet and hands all at once. A high twenty! Such joy!
And now the man who’d had the bouquet walks by on the other side of the street. He is with his date and they are laughing and chatting and getting to know each other. He sees me watching and waves and grins and I wave back.
I feel the shadow of depression moving in and I’m filled with dread and fear – my instinct to turn and flee. But instead I pause, take a breath, and face the shadow – see it for what it is – just a cloud floating by. It will pass. It won’t last. But I will.
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 