SUMMONED ON PURPOSE

           I'm sitting in the basement of the Bexar County Courthouse, along with several hundred other people who have also been summoned here for Jury Duty. Most of us will go through a jury selection screening process; only a few dozen will actually be selected to serve on a jury; the rest of us will be dismissed sometime later in the day. But all of us have been sitting here, doing nothing but waiting for three hours already, with the potential of many more hours of waiting still stretching out ahead.

GIVEN A GIFT

            Lots of folks are grumbling, and the air is thick with boredom and resentment, but I find myself feeling quite peaceful and content. Why not? Normally, this would have been another full day of office work and errands. But, thanks to this jury summons, I've got nothing else to do today but simply sit and be mindful. What a gift!

SHIFT POINT

            And when I do find myself drifting off into the cloud of negative thoughts or feelings being generated by the folks around me, it's relatively simple to shift my attention and reconnect with the affirmation with which I began my morning, as usual, just before sunrise. The words may change a little from time to time, but the intention remains largely the same - and I choose to engage it again now:

I greet this moment with enthusiasm, willing to face and embrace any circumstances I encounter with an open mind and a compassionate heart.

Sitting in silence, centering in Spirit and breathing in fully, I feel deeply grateful for the many blessings in my life.

I acknowledge that some of my brothers and sisters are struggling with hatred, pain and poverty, but I choose to focus on my purpose, which is to experience and express the free flow of Life, manifesting as Love, ease and abundance, here and now.

Whenever I become aware of feeling resistance to another person, persons or situation, I choose to release those feelings, re-connect with my sense of purpose and rest in the awareness that all is well - and all shall be well. And so it is.

CHOOSE AGAIN

            The odds are good that I won't be called to serve on a jury this time after all, and that I'll be dismissed sometime this afternoon. No doubt I'll encounter other challenging people or situations on my way home, or sometime later today or tomorrow. Soon enough, I'll have another opportunity to become aware of the resistance I'm carrying, then practice getting centered, aligning with Spirit and remembering my purpose again. And again. And again.  And... that's just how it is. No need to judge myself -- much less feel guilty -- for re-encountering this same lesson over and over again. And now is as good a time as any to practice the process.

With gratitude and blessings,

      Rudi