If it Comes to Us, it's Ours

There are things that come to us that not only seem grossly unfair, but sometimes they really actually are. There are a lot of unfair things going on in our lives. After nearly a year of one hard experience after another, I came home from surgery and the hospital saying, “Now we get better.”

Then, in a darkened area of a store parking lot, just before Christmas, I took a fall tripping over an unseen cement barrier for the cars. It was a terrific fall, with a slam to the head and post concussion stuff I am still dealing with. I was pretty scary looking for the Christmas crowd, purple face and all.

But then I got to pondering, as we can do, okay, is there some bad energy out there making life harder for me? I was feeling like, well, picked on, victim-like, you know, a little paranoid and “Why me?” darn it. Are the bad guys zeroing in? We are all trying to spread a little light, at least a candle flame, if not a little higher wattage. Have we ‘attracted’ the Dark Energy that all paths of philosophy, at least indicate you will surely encounter when you resolve to serve the Good?

I don’t mean just our personal stuff when I write those words. You know, that self induced merry-go-round that happens with all those New Year’s Eve’s resolutions to not eat so much, drink so much, not smoke,do more exercise, meet people and situations without snarky remarks even when we are tired and emotionally fried, but to somehow energize ourselves to be able to muster up implacable patience and spread an aura of peace in our wake.

Of course, as we get serious about the above ‘resolves’ and begin to apply them, the demons come rushing up from below, dark imps roaring out of their dungeons, snake holes, hovels and, I suppose, a few well appointed palatial bunkers in our subconscious.

Then they get in our face, thumbing their noses, ‘Nyeh! Nyeh! Nyeh!’ and daring us to try to change those habits and addictions. After producing a mood of loud, obnoxious confusion, they then go and tweak various glands and body parts,and ‘rush’ deprived brain cells, jumping on them like trampolines, to set off the cry of ‘Feed me!’ NOW!

And the heck with any of your transformation process!

What triumph there is when we overcome such pressure and make the changes! Hooray for the spirit and will! This is hero work! Of the highest order.

On the other hand we can often cave in for another round. Sometimes it seems like a battery driven driverless appendage that is operating, as one’s arm and attached hand creep out to snag the forbidden food, the vodka bottle, the cigarette, the tranquilizer, and resolves to be exemplary fade away with fried nerves. Having won another round, the doubles, demons and imps no doubt perform some sort of football halftime frenzied devil dance of dark triumph before slithering back to their lairs with great satisfaction.

But what I am talking about now is like the Big Impersonal Darkness that tries to overcome the Light, though one would hope to be able to do the good without standing out that significantly! When I questioned this as a possibility to my dear friend and beloved physician, Dr. Kelly Sutton, (The friend-who-saved- my-life, Kelly) her answer was so sublimely perfect it deserves to be widely shared.

Calmly, she offered these words, ”Doesn’t matter who threw the ball, if it comes to us its ours.”

There is something so spine-tingling joyful about the truth! It just hangs in the air like golden drops of light. I mean I had to grin. The message was clear.

Don’t give an ounce of energy to the paranoid thought that ‘they’ are ‘out to git cha!

If it lands near you, it’s yours. Oh, yes.

So whatever it is, let’s get on with it. Get out there in center field. Pop fly, ground ball, line drive. Make the catch if you can, get it to first... Deal with it. Even if it whizzes by your ear, it’s yours. Play ball, honey.