One Step at a Time

“We are the ones for whom we have been waiting.” Hopi Elders

Think about that for a minute…

Many of us are waiting for the second coming as if that is what will save us.  We think that God will suddenly appear and the world will be transformed, those who are not believers or those who have not lived what we perceive to be good lives will be condemned and the rest of us will be gifted with a peace and joy that has never even existed before.   NOT!

Many of us are waiting for this Coronavirus pandemic to end.  What did we do with our lives while we waited?  Did we just fill our time doing “stuff” or are we nurturing our lives and the lives of others?

What have we been doing since most restrictions have been removed and we were put in charge of making the decisions about wearing masks, eating in restaurants, seeing our friends, and much of what many of us might call living a normal life again?

There will always be a pandemic of one kind or another.  Are we making our decisions based on our wanting to just get out of the house?  Are we considering other people and their health?  Are we judging others who are not, at least from our perceptions, because they are not wearing a mask or not keeping a distance from others, or eating and chatting in restaurants with no regard for others?  This list goes on and on.  Or, are we listening to the Lord speaking to and through us, and not just waiting for the pandemic to be gone?

Some of us speak often about the presence of the Lord in a moment of something profound, some speak of the presence of the Lord within nature, loving relationships, a beautiful sunset, and, again, the list goes on.  I happen to believe that the Lord resides in each and every human being.  So, I ask myself, am I taking care of myself, am I judging others, am I angry at those that do not wear masks?

If I believe that the Lord is present in every experience that we

have, and I believe that we are living in heaven right here and now, I believe that I should take the time to talk with the Lord about my behaviors, in thought and deed.  So, when I bumped into the quote I used at the beginning of this article, that put a whole new meaning on what I believe.  We are the ones who many of us are waiting for.  The Lord is present here and now, and, in fact, has never left us.  That Spirit that we were gifted with feeds our spirits and nudges us to listen and live as Jesus did.

If I am who others have been waiting for, how am I teaching others how to live in that Spirit?  How am I washing the feet of the outcast?  How am I feeding the hungry?  How am I healing the sick?  How am I going off to pray?  How am I standing up and facing those who criticize and ridicule me?  How am I reaching out to the poor and oppressed?  How am I showing others a path to a relationship with God?

Wow, what a responsibility that is!  It wasn’t easy for Jesus and it isn’t easy for me or anyone else.  Will you walk with me on this journey to becoming “the one we have been waiting for?”  I promise that I will support you on your journey.

Let’s all put on our walking shoes and step forward into becoming all that God has in mind for us to be.  The possibilities are endless, and what we share will change the world, one step at a time.  There are no rules about not wearing your dancing shoes while doing this! -