As You Manifest … life is like a box of chocolates

You never know what’s sitting next to you. On a plane in that middle seat, next to you in line at the DMV, in the doctor’s waiting room. You just don’t know. A whole universe of perspective, life experience and, perhaps a serendipitous nugget of precious, timely, life-changing advice or idea may be sitting right next to you packaged in the form of a stranger. A gift, an opportunity, may be sitting right beside you. You never know.

Why is that person sitting next to you? Is it just chance and "nothing" or is it a divine appointment? That’s for you to decide, because you have a role in this. I’ve had enough “accidental” experience with divine appointments to know that “every” encounter with another human being is an opportunity to uncover something and to reveal something. In this stage of my life I therefore tend to initiate conversation with a bright-eyed expectation for what might and will follow if I contribute my portion and “open up” enough.

Do something or do nothing – that’s the proposition. Initiate or don’t. Sometimes, but not often, the other person initiates and when they do it may seem presumptuous at first but usually winds up being a refreshing diversion. Sometimes (often) my persona assumes a serious and perhaps intimidating visage so I try to radiate a more inviting luster and I may tend to initiate - go into “active” mode. I try to maintain a force field that is inviting if not engaging and initiating.    

Our “force fields” are a consequence of a decision. After all, the circumstances about us are what they are and life and the world is in motion. The windows of life intersections approach, dwell for an moment, and then pass. We are part of a kaleidoscope of ever changing images and perceptions; one chip of brightly colored uniquely shaped glass, tumbling and bumping about amongst the others, reflecting the light as it bounces off our surface. We all reflect something.

Some of us nurture a light that shines from within us that adds to the cacophony around us. Some of us, like prisms, also bend and split the light, discerning it, sorting it, organizing it and interpreting it ... making sense of it from a perspective not anchored in this mere life reality but from an eternal vantage. Some absorb the light fully; dark, drawing, draining. If you are out and about amongst humanity, there you tumble, there you reflect and there you project or simply draw.

Circumstance ~ Consequence ~ Providence

Life is a cornucopia of circumstances. Try as we might to exert our plan on the universe, unforeseen events and distractions cross our path, obscure our view and frustrate our single-minded ambitions. We are presented with distractions that provoke our imaginations in positive and negative ways. Oh, our blessed imaginations and our conscience that inspire us to better things! Oh, our damned imaginings that conjure fear and deepen our struggle with the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. Are our circumstances the consequence of our decisions and actions or are they ordered by the hand of Providence? I would say, yes and yes!

Most have seen the movie “Forrest Gump” or have at least heard the quote about ‘life being like a box of chocolates…’. It wasn’t until I was grown up and head of a household that I was able to behold and control an entire pristine box of assorted chocolates and like a naughty child poke each one to the point of puncture in order to find out what was inside each before committing to the first. I still do it - after the guests are out of sight - and my reproving wife still scolds me for my lack of control … and then carefully examines the damaged contents to discern her favorites ....

So - - - I recently took a flight to visit my daughter in Florida. In my former life as a marketing and sales executive air travel was a weekly affair. I don’t miss the deadlines and the pressure and the close connections. I do miss the people-watching and the people-meeting. As I settled into my aisle seat and grabbed the in-flight magazine I wondered if there would be an occupant for that vacant middle seat between myself and the window. Before long a young lady about the age of my daughter stopped short in front of me and, cocking her head, looked straight at that middle seat and announced, “that’s me!”

I helped her lift her carry-on “safe” into the overhead bin (I don’t know what she had in that thing) and she slid into her seat. The first thing I noticed was the dog hair all over her black jacket. There it was - my invitation to initiate!

My wife and I had recently lost our American Eskimo dog of 12 years and - let me tell you – you cannot wear anything black or dark with that breed around. American Eskimos don’t shed, they BLOW fur. Their individual fur fibers also possess an extrordinary electrostatic charge characteristic that enables them to literally leap feet from a surface and onto your pristine jacket or slacks. I was trying to figure out what breed of dog this young lady might own by the fur on her coat when she caught me looking and apologized, “I’m not getting any of that on you am I?”  “No”, I said, “and I really wouldn’t mind”, I said, “on account of my experience with dog fur...”.

And so a conversation began. It was about dogs. It was about her fiancé. It was about her career as a teacher and her passion for children and about how poorly she felt she was being treated by her boss. It was about a broken family and a need for a father's advice and love. It was about differences in generations and the importance of proving oneself. We drifted to the possibility of overseas teaching and then to missions work with children. We crossed the line and talked about faith. I dared to ask her how I might pray for her. It was okay.

I recommended a book and then she recommended a book. She recommended, The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein, a book supposedly narrated by a dog from the dog’s perspective. Her suggestion followed the line of our conversation. I made a mental note, we eventually landed and went our separate ways.

In the airport during my return trip several days later I wandered into the concourse gift shop to get some gum and, maybe, a magazine. There was nothing that interested me so I glanced at the books offered (I never buy books in the airport – too expensive) … and there it was right in front of my nose, The Art of Racing In The Rain! I bought it not even checking the price.  

I devoured 70 pages of the book on the flight home. I might have read more but I have this habit of making notes in every book I read when I come across a contemplative passage, a unique phrase or a clever arrangement of words. I know that authors consciously embed these verbally succulent tidbits in their books and I give them their due chewing them slowly and savoring every essence of them. Anyway, (though I don't agree with the reincarnation slant of the book) this read was whimsically entertaining and had quite a few “tidbits” early on and many were metaphors about race car driving (... the book title begins to make sense …). The greatest of these metaphors was captured in the following statement, “That which you manifest is before you.”  As you act and how you engage all that you encounter in life, so will your life be. Let that percolate for a moment.

That phrase was already "quickened" to me when I read it, as was the phrase, “I am and I do” and Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”, 1 Samuel 16:7, “the man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”, Matthew 15:19,”for out of the heart proceed …” and Psalm 139:23,”Search me oh God and know my heart …”.

The heart. The heart. That which I manifest is before me. That which I am in my heart is before me.  My heart is my destiny. I had been praying to God about my heart, whether or not it was right and aligned with His. In devotion I had been asking for a right heart about many things. I came to embrace with a fullness that God knows my heart better than I and that He is the changer of hearts.

When I wonder why God’s plan is not “manifesting” I have only to consider that, perhaps, he knows that my heart is not yet right for it. And so, He tests and trials me until that right heart is indeed manifest and then His “Plan” begins to manifest as well. Oh the simplicity and the complicity of it all!

                                            James 4:1-17

Ezekiel 11:19, “I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit in them and take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.” and 2 Corinthians 5:17, “ If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”

If I am truly His it is no longer my heart or my character but His heart and His character that manifests. My joy becomes not mine but His as I enter into it.

Coincidence? The very day that I publish this post, today, I had to make a revision and add something. My Pastor delivered an electrifying  message anchored in the gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 21; "He who has my commandments and keeps them (authentic obedience), it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

Life is indeed a box of blessed chocolates! But you’ve got to give yourself to Him, engage the world as His and share unafraid.

Be unafraid. Initiate. Let the light without reflect on your character (His character) and let the light within (Him) shine out. Like the chocolates, ‘You never know what you’re going to get’ - but it sure will be good and you will sense His pleasure in it.

'Ask and it will be given, seek and you shall find.'

MANIFEST!

All the best!

Bill