“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” -Woody Allen

God had a different plan for me this weekend.

I walk around thinking I am in charge, but really I have no clue. At best, I can show up for what life throws my way with an open and light heart and that is on a good day.

Here’s a Story:

A priest was walking down the road and saw a little boy jumping up trying to ring a doorbell. The priest crossed the street to help the little boy. He rang the bell for him then said, what do we do now? The little boy said, “Run like HELL!”

I first heard this story from Tara Brach and it always makes me laugh. For me, it highlights that we never really know what’s going to happen next. We think we know, we plan and analyze and stress, all the while we miss the precious and present moment that is right here and right now.

Instead of driving to Massachusetts to attend a silent meditation retreat, I am in Charleston with my Dad who is in the ICU . My Dad is dreamy! He is the nicest, calmest, sweetest, most awesome person I have ever met. And I get to call him Dad. I literally hit the JACK-pot with Dad’s (his name is Jack).

So this weekend I will practice staying present for each moment. Not stressing about what might be, or what should be, but just being with what IS. I will look for light in everything, even the rough spots. It is easy to sink into the fear and darkness but that takes me away from what is right here and right now which is full of light.

I first heard this ancient fable from Tara Brach . Perhaps you have heard some version of it before? Here it is….

There was this gifted thief who like to hang around the Diamond District. One day he saw a man purchase the most beautiful, clear, luminous diamond in all of the district. Naturally, he followed this man as he got onto the train. As they traveled along, the gifted thief used all of his skills to rob this man of his diamond. Nothing worked. As the mans stop approached, the thief couldn’t take it anymore, so he stopped the man and introduced himself. He said, “excuse me sir, you may not know this but I am the most gifted thief in all of the land. I know you purchased the most beautiful, clear, wonderful diamond today and I have been trying to rob you of it to no avail. This has never happened to me! I am always successful! Please tell me where you hid it.” The man said, "I know exactly who you are and I saw you following me, so I hid the diamond where I knew you would never look.” The thief said, “please tell me and I will leave you alone.” The man said, “I put it in your pocket.”

What we are looking for we already have. It’s a lot closer than we think, and, it costs nothing! I have found the way to connect with this is to get really comfortable with being quiet and still for a short period of time each day. From this place of quiet, stillness, prayer, divine oneness, open consciousness, heaven, connection with God, love- whatever you want to call it- we can align to what it is we were put here on earth to do. We are all divine beings placed here to fulfill our potential. This potential can be scary if we let it, or we can just surrender to love and trust that all is well.

Charleston…….

Here’s a Story:

What You Are Looking For, You Already Have