Look Up!

Last night we saw the most amazing thing! It was the “pink moon” – when the moon is the closest to the earth. I’ve included a picture in this post provided by a former Air Force chaplain colleague of mine, Jeffrey Neuberger, who is a brilliant photographer, who shot this view last night. 

The view was awe-inspiring! The light of this full moon lit up the sky! Had we not gone outside and looked up, we would have missed it!

Look up! That is our call today. It is so easy to keep our heads down, reading the last news report, checking our Facebook feed, wondering when life will get back to “normal.” But it we keep looking down we may miss the most amazing thing right in front of us!

Mindfulness reminds us to to look up – to look at the present moment, to notice the feelings and thoughts that arise, to see the beautiful people who are a part of our lives. Mindfulness meditation is a discipline that helps us to remember to stop, breathe and be present for all of the seasons of our lives.

In chapter eight of Mark Williams and Danny Penman’s book, Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World, the title of the chapter is, “Moving Beyond the Rumor Mill” – quite appropriate for our times. As we listen to, read and watch the news, we may think that it gives us a perspective of “reality.” But what is reality other than a bunch of rumors? What is your direct personal experience? Trust that. It may be very different from members of your family or friends but look up to see what is right in front of you.

We are surrounded by rumors – but if we take the time to look up, we will see the truth of who we are. We might not be able to control the external circumstances but we can, as Williams and Penman write, “step outside the endless cycle and just watch the thoughts unfold in all their fevered beauty.” (P. 140) Listen to Meditation #5, “Sounds and Thoughts” to take a break from the rumor mill.

Blessings and much Metta!

Christine

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