DETACHMENT

I love to listen to the pond bubbling away and the birds singing as I wash the windows. The birds are nesting in our little bird house again. I am also praying for those who are on our prayer list with extremely difficult health problems. From a month old baby to a 90 year old it is a blessing to be able to support them in my heart with prayer. The source of all life gives to each one of us continually and we then have the privilege of sharing.

I am trying to be healthy but also to enjoy life. One way to do this is to keep life simple and to be able to cultivate a spirit of detachment.

Calvinism and capitalism have been mixed together to create our obsession for self-improvement, so that we can be "saved". Detachment goes against this striving that continually makes us unsatisfied. As I look around my home I see many extra things that I do not really need. There are objects that I do not need just to be comfortable but I also know that beauty brings joy to the soul helping us to transcend beyond materialism.

I know there are times when I buy impulsively without stopping to think whether it is necessary. The culture in which I am living seems to encourage this. I have an attachment to values I have picked up over my lifetime; some of these are emotional. I can become attached to my resentment and anger even though I know forgiveness sets me free. Negative feelings are toxic and can make us sick.

I am working at not being attached to material things or the opinions of others. I am also finding I need to let go of spiritual attachments to religious beliefs and dogma that have been passed down through church teachings. I have a difficult time letting go of sacred texts that have in the past influenced my life. This does not mean that I cannot find inspiration in what I am reading and studying.

I have much to learn about detachment!