Bucket List

by

Perspective

Our hearts

are

restless

until

they

rest

in

You.

Is

restlessness

uncomfortable?

Always,

Sometimes,

Never?

St. Augustine

confesses

that

it is

longing

that makes

the heart

grow

deeper.

Does

yearning

describe

longing

for you?

Rabbi Irwin Kula

writes

“The ability

to live

with

seeming

contradictions-

and

the

ambivalence

and

tension

these contradictions

create-

is what gives

rise

to wisdom.

The messes

are the point.”

The invitation

into the depths

is painful.

A journey

to surrender.

There can be

so much

resistance

in that

opportunity.

So,

stumble

I will.

Not knowing

the measure

I will think

of longing

as yearning.

It

resonates

for me.

St. Augustine, Confessions

Rabbi Irwin Kula, Yearnings

livinglinesreflections.com

by

Our Best Selves

Pictures remind

Easter finery.

New bonnet,

Spring coat, perhaps

passed down

through

sisters and cousin.

New dress,

polished shoes

or new

patent leather!

Small flower corsage

from Daddy.

Some may still

dress this way

for Easter services,

I may admit to

a little envy.

We looked our best

or so it seemed.

The best outside dress-up

cannot cover up

the violence of

terror or the

insulting language

in the political campaign.

Steady reams of

news

proclaim

more crucifixion

than resurrection.

There are many

moments

of love and caring,

even random

acts of kindness.

What will it take

to dress up

ourselves,

our families and friends,

our neighborhoods

and our world

with sincere conversion

from the inside out.

Real love and kindness

generate

warmth and smiles.

How can we

dress

ourselves

with the

realization

that

we are all

in this world together?

Respect

for

each and every other,

dressed in finery

or clothes unfamiliar.

Garments given away

clothe

those without anything.

Respect

is the best

place

to begin.

We all

can dress ourselves best

caring for

each other.

Amen.

by

Perspective

Sometimes

I have the opportunity

to do something,

go somewhere,

or meet someone.

At another time

in my life,

I might have

given my eye teeth

for these opportunities.

But then

I realize

that

this time

is not

the right time.

Timing is everything,

so people say.

How much my

Perspective

and desires

have changed

over time.

I am sometimes

surprised

that I don’t

leap at opportunities

that would have

once been

irresistible.

livinglinesreflections.com

by

Bucket List

Do you have a

Bucket List?

Or do people

tell you what

is on theirs?

Places to go,

people to meet,

relationships

with family and friends.

For me,

my real answer is

I no longer

make a plan

for myself,

but respond to

the things and people

in my life

that are

part of

a plan

I cannot see.

That response

is not

passive

but

is more about

life

unfolding,

some

sense of

adventure,

being open

to surprise

and

a longing

for fullness.

Some describe

longing

as the underlying

desire

for the divine.

There are times

when I am aware

of a longing;

other times,

not.

I do begin

most days

with a prayer

to take me

where

You want me to be,

Meet who You

want me to see,

Say what You

want me to say

Help me stay out of

Your way.

So,

as I close my eyes

at the end of each day,

I smile,

realizing

that what

was in my bucket

for the day

had

some unexpected

experiences

encounters.

Some might have

been painful

yet

each day

has a spark

of light

for my dreams

to process

into the

longing

for the next day.