Dear Friends,
Welcome to this morning meditation entitled Good Morning,
You Are Here.
And what a wonderful thing it is to be here.
I ask myself,
When did I last notice this?
And I ask you the same question.
When did you last notice?
The amazing reality that you are here.
In this world.
In this place.
You are here.
You are wonderfully here.
You are magically here.
I invite you to close your eyes now.
For just one minute of reflection.
60 seconds in which to relax in the extraordinary realisation of your wonderful presence in our world.
Welcome back.
Isn't it amazing how we can take this existence of hers for granted?
How we can drift to life.
Without realizing how extraordinary it is that this universe has given rise to us.
Not to mention the fact that the universe itself exists.
It's only when we take time.
When we sit for even five minutes.
And look mindfully around us.
That we are brought into one of these rare moments of awareness.
Moments which make all the difference to how we go about our days.
I've come across a poem by a 17th century clergyman.
Thomas Blake.
It's a writing which I think you will find inspirational.
As you step outside to face each new day.
Every morning.
Lay in thine arms a while.
Upon the windowsill of heaven.
And gaze upon thy Lord.
Than with the vision in thy heart.
Turn strong to meet thy day.
Words from Thomas Blake.
Now take a moment to gratefully look around the room in which you're sitting.
Recall mindfully all the precious things that belong to you.
And especially think of the people who are part of your life.
The people without whom your life would be unimaginably different.
I think this calls for another one minute pause.
Welcome back.
In the midst of all the trials which are part of every life.
We enjoy benefits which are beyond all price.
And awareness of these benefits makes all the difference.
Just imagine the emptiness of going through the world,
Oblivious to its gifts.
After all,
There was a time when you and I didn't enjoy everything that we have today.
A time when we wished for what we have today.
And here it is.
You have it.
I haven't.
And it is worthy of our attention and our gratitude.
And more especially when we realise that things will not always be this way.
We must be grateful for whatever each moment brings in this ever-changing world.
This morning,
The postman arrived at our door with a gift.
A book from Jerry.
A friend of mine living in the US.
The book is by a gentleman named Rick Terwilliger.
A poem of Rick's appears on the back cover of the book.
And wouldn't these thoughts be an inspirational way to go about our days?
The title of the poem is Hiding in Plain Sight.
What would you do if you could walk through this world,
Hidden from prying eyes?
What good could you do without being observed?
As you rearrange things to turn out right.
Unseen and hidden.
Moving through the crowd.
Straightening tilted hats on unaware heads.
Smiling while looking for something to fix.
Without anyone knowing you're here.
All the while hiding in plain sight.
Without looking for approval from those that benefited from your unseen help.
At the end of the day,
Contend in yourself.
As you sip your cup of tea.
Staring into the heart of your heart.
Feet up in the air.
Falling asleep in front of the firelight.
Words of Rick Terwilliger.
And thanks to my friend Geri for her thoughtful gift.
How about you and I going out into the world today?
In the spirit of Rick Terwilliger.
And at the end of this day.
Pausing to give thanks for all that we have managed to quietly achieve.
This is the good life.
Namaste.
