Transcending Realms

The final curtain of another day is slowing drawing across the stage of my day. My work at the university is many things but redundant. There is such life here, among my students, my colleagues, and the community that enters this world we call acadamia. The campus upon which I dwell serves approximately 20,000 students, thus when the changing of the guard occurs after every class, the landscape takes on the persona of a micro-metropolis. Perceptions, focus, and goals are so much different from the cozy little town of my home residence.

I live in two realms.

Stagnation occurs when I spend too much time in either one to the exclusion of the other. As I muse the mechanics of both worlds, I find it fascinating how I am perceived when I do spend an abundance of time and/or attention to one realm over the other.

While dwelling in the mindset that encapsulates the realm of acadamia or education, my language of course and cognitive functioning, fed by this realm begin to resemble those around me. However, when I return to our quaint small town, the goals of the people are not the same and I appear to be speaking a foriegn language at times. I become frustrated as my friends and neighbors who have not dwelt in my alter-realm do not understand the passion and fire I have on certain matters. To them it is simply something that will never change or can never change and I shouldn't be concerned. There are other matters at hand, things integral to the community in which they dwell that must take precidence.

On the flip side, when I am home a great deal of the time, I tend to rally behind the communal efforts of the neighborhood and allow my other passions to be shelved until a more convenient time. Therefore, my actions are propigated by the realm which holds my attention and time.

So also is true of another two realms in which I reside. The spiritual realm and the earthly realm. The tenets spoken of formerly concerning acadamia and community hold true for these realms also. The more time spent in the spiritual realm, the more those I love who have not tasted of this place, do not understand of that which I speak. It's not because we are so different, it's just that I have experienced a place they have not. Subsequently, when a majority of my time and energy is spent in the earthly realm, I tend to lose sight of the issues and passions of the spiritual realm.

As is with the realms I transverse daily, acadamia and home, I must realize that they are two distinct realms with distinct rules and norms. Therefore I must not judge either but strive to understand and respect the inhabitants of both for the invaluable worth they carry. This heuristic or rule of thumb also applies to the spiritual and earthly realms. It is with the passports of compassion, and a willingness to view my surroundings through the eyes of those who dwell in those surroundings that I can transcend the borders of the many realms set before my path.

Ever and Always
Beth

Confessions of an Addict

Upon reflection of yesterday's events, my awareness of overlooked gifts has been rekindled.

Recently, my friend Shungo John and I embarked on the never ending quest of health and beauty by adopting a de-tox diet in our lives for a fortnight (that is two weeks). Needless to say, this particular prescription allows us very little to eat. We can have no sugar or sugar substitutes, salt, dairy products, wheat or bread products, salad dressings, oils, fats of any kind, beef or pork.

"What's left?" You might ask. Well, aside from chicken and fish (which we don't care much for meat and I cannot tolerate fish), veggies, a few grains in sparse proportions, decaff tea, H2O and and occaisional cardboard box for fiber; nothing.

Subsequently, Shungo and I have been honing our self discipline skills and trying to encourage one another as each day passes. We have done very well thus far, remaining true blue to the plan. Yesterday, however, a former student of mine invited me to lunch. Now foraging for something dietarily legal at the student union, which is geared toward college student quisine, is an adventure in itself. So to avoid spending all my alloted lundh time counting carbs, and edible proteins I chose a small chilli and large plain ice tea from Wendy's.

Such sin!

Repentence, confession, and penance seemed my only recourse. And who should I pay such homage to? Shungo of course, since she is the faithful half of this team. Now, I wondered how I was going to break my adulterous actions to her without swaying her opinion of my committment. Shelving this dilemma for the moment, I decided I would come forth with it when I talked with her. She called me. In the middle of our conversation about other events she broke in with,

"I have a confession to make." Smiling to myself, which she of course could not see, I solemly said, "What is it?"

She began her tale of how she attended her granddaughter's birthday at the child's school and that all was going well when she spotted the giant frosted chocolate chip cookie beckoning her attention. She then broke down and told me how she snuck two small tidbits she stealthily stole and consumed unnoticed, that is unnoticed by everyone but her conscience.

Shameful!

She then informed me, as all the truth began spilling forth, of how she went on a search and destroy mission after the party, for any left over cookie crumbs. Alas none were found as the children had devoured every last bit of it, the gluttonous urchins!

Continuing on with her tale, I was enlightened to other such infractions to our covenental arrangement of food; which included foraging like a starving animal through her son's garbage to retrieve an erroneous discard of bacon deposited by his wife. She savored that one. Finally as we laughed heartily over her crimes, my conscience would rest no longer and I too lay my dasterly deed before her. Laughter spilled spontaneously as we cleaned our consciences. I am guessing all that exercise from laughing alone burned the sinful calories we consumed.

However, the entire event reminded me of what a treasure Shungo has been to me. Some might say she was sent from heaven, I believe her point of origin is more the heart of God Himself.

Ever and Always
Beth

The Invisible Hand

Experiencial learning appears to be the most effective mode of assimilating and aquiring new information for me. That being noted, I had the most amazing experience yesterday with frostbrn, my son.

Something to note is that frostbrn lives in Seattle Wa. and I in BG, Oh. My laptop which holds all my secrets as well as everday workable information, was not working well at all. This is my primary tool for my job as a college instructor and personal enjoyment. Thus, I was disabled. Not obtaining success from our tech center, though they did all they could, I sat daunted over the entire ordeal. For once in my life I was totally without a plan (something rare for me). Then, my cell phone rang with a call from frostbrn (another rarity as he works constantly and has other responsibilities). After general chit chat, he learned of my dilemma and offered to repair my computer via the internet. We went through the necessary channels to achieve this ability (he being the mastermind and major player) with the final permission of access left to me.

Eagerly I pushed the button, letting him into my computer and my soul. I watched in awe as the curser moved seemingly on its own as if a ghost or unseen force was manuevering it. As I beheld my son's movements and listened to his explanations of those movements over my cell phone, I was overwhelmed with God's way of working in our lives also. I realized it is much like frostbrn. I couldn't see him, but I could hear him and see the results of his efforts. So true of God. I cannot see Him, but I can hear Him in my heart and see evidence of His work in my life.
The similarities do not stop there. In order for these things to take place, regarding God, I need to give Him access to my soul also.

Now there is a risk involved as was with frostbrn in my computer. He had the ability to abuse, misuse, and destroy some of my most precious ideas such as my book if he wanted to, for he had access to all files. However, I trusted his love for me would prevent such harm. So too with God. Letting Him in, gives Him access to all my files of life and sometimes I can see Him entering a sacred place and then allow fear to indulge in doubt as trust in His love begins to wane. He could destroy me, but I must believe that He loves me enough to only seek my good, even when I do not understand why He is pushing some particular button. I watched frostbrn open several files, some I was not aware even existed, and manupulate the abilities of my computer uncomprehesible to me. Again, trust was necessary, for he is the master computer genius and I the learner. Sometimes he couldn't explain what he was doing because I was not familiar with the terminology and what was needed had to be accomplished rapidly. My role was to watch in awe and trust that the decisions he was making concerning my computer were the best for me.

Can you see where this is going? Many times we do not understand what God is doing, for His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, but we must trust that He is the master genius of our lives and that what He is doing is for our ultimate good.

As frostbrn completed his tasks he gave strong warning to me to use the safeguards installed to prevent any preditors from gaining access and allow no one else into the sacred places he had traveled. "Now Mom, don't let anyone have access to your computer but me."
So also I hear my Beloved Savior whisper into the cell phone of my heart concerning my soul.

Ever and Always
Beth