Month: July 2016

Daily Reflection

Today’s daily reflection comes from the following parable titled “A Little Boy’s Story” and is by Stine Gro Struksnaes:  

A boy sat down, he looked so sad
his toy had gone apart
He tried to fix it, but too bad! –
he just wasn’t that smart.

“Oh Father, help me!” was his cry,
“please fix this toy for me!”
“My pleasure, son”, the quick reply
as he came close to see. 

The boy bowed down and tried anew,
each time with greater zeal
But as the night drew close he knew
his failure was too real. 

He then looked up and cried again;
“My Father! Don’t you care?
You told me you would help me
but your hand was never there!”

“My precious son”, the father said,
as he in love bowed down,
“I waited here all afternoon
while you tried on your own –

I could not fix your toy, you see,
cause you did not let go,
but give me please each broken part,
and I will fix it now!”

And so the story ended
with a happy little boy
who finally gave all to dad
who fixed his broken toy.

Have you a broken story,
or a broken bleeding heart –
something that is too hard to fix
a dream that broke apart? –

Then give it to your Father –
your loving Friend above
Just leave it all in His big hands
and trust a Father’s love.

These words hold much significance in my life given how often I’ve asked God for help but continued to handle things on my own. All of the paths I took with addictions went this way until I discovered I couldn’t fix any of them by myself. Lately, I’ve come to see the same holds true with my health and healing. Each of my own individual attempts to get healthier quicker have generally gone nowhere or only made things worse for me. While there are times here and there I still try to fix something with my health, I’ve come to understand that for me to become fully “fixed”, it’s going to take me completely trusting in God’s love and leaving it in God’s hands. It’s a challenge on most days to remain on this path, but one I know I must adhere to. Because I know in doing so, God will be put back together again in great working order.

I pray I stop trying to fix myself on every level and instead trust inherently in God to do it for me, as I know God can and will.

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

“Dam Michigan Driver!”

Have you ever complained about a driver from another state? I find it rather comical these days when I hear so many fellow Ohio drivers do just that with vehicles whose license plates are from Michigan.

“Dam Michigan driver!” 

I hear things like this all the time, except I’m kind of censoring myself at the moment, because more than not, there are far more negative words used in those statements around here.

What’s funny is that when I’ve been in a car with someone from Michigan, they do the same with Ohioans. Even funnier was when I lived in Massachusetts, as there they did the same with those from Connecticut or New Hampshire. And when I lived in Northern Virginia, it was with those from Maryland or Washington D.C. Frankly, I can even go all the way back to the state I grew up in, which was New York, as even there everyone constantly seemed to be irritated with drivers from New Jersey.

So what gives? Is everyone from every state just a bad driver then?

Of course not.

The reality is that people like to complain about another driver because it takes the focus off of themselves and any possible lack of road courtesies they might have. Truthfully that’s why anyone complains about another whether it’s on the road or not. So long as a person keeps looking at another’s apparent display of ignorance, they aren’t ever going to look in the mirror at any of their own shortcomings and make changes within themselves to see things differently.

I used to be guilty of this myself a long time ago, but I honestly don’t pay attention to things like this when I’m driving now because it’s not worth expending the negative energy. And frankly it’s far too draining to do so.

Like I’ve said before in some of my previous entries in here, any time I’m pointing the finger at another with something I perceive is doing something wrong, I really need to be pointing that finger, and many more, back at myself, because usually when I’m doing so, I’m ignoring a selfish or self-centered area of my life that still needs to be worked on. But the more I’ve worked on myself and drawn closer to my Higher Power, which is God, the more I’ve had patience on the road with everyone, and the more I’ve seen drivers do plenty of things that I once did myself.

Honestly, it really all just comes down to judgment. If I’m judging another on the road or wherever for that matter, I ultimately am simply just refusing to look in the mirror and see any of my own inadequacies…

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson