Midweek ponderings

It seems to me that it is getting warmer outside, don't do you think? It was only -2 this morning, instead of -12 or -22. Much more seasonal. I can't wait for the nice weather. Although I am a winter lover, the cold weather got to even me this year. As I sit in my office, getting ready for the Lodge service today, I am reminded that Easter is almost here and that with the coming of spring, resurrection is more apparent. So often in our living we run from day to day, not stopping to feel and to see what is right around us. Do we see signs of resurrection? What brings thoughts of resurrection to mind for you? Is it the sight of a new bloom on a plant, the return of the birds who had gone for the winter, is it a feeling, that feeling of peace that we all long for? What exactly does resurrection mean to you? For me, Resurrection is a feeling, a new sense of the Holy, a time when I feel calm, hopeful and loved. A time of Peace. I am taking part in an Inner Peace E-Retreat this year. So each day I get an email with a message, a practice, and an affirmation. On Monday I got a message that contained a story, It didn't say who wrote it but I want to share it with you. The thought behind the message is that we struggle hard for inner peace, when maybe we don't need to struggle so hard after all. So here it is, hopefully the author won't mind: There is a powerful story about the danger of chasing peace through effort. An investment banker was on vacation in Mexico. He met a Mexican fisherman who was cleaning up a couple of fish he had just caught. The businessman asked him how long it took him to catch the fish. He said, "Not long." So the businessman asked him, "Why don't you stay out longer. You could catch more fish. "The Mexican replied, "This is enough to support my family. Now I have time to live a peaceful life--play with my children, take siestas with my wife, and drink wine and play guitar with my amigos in the evening. "The businessman said, "You should consider spending more time fishing. You could buy a whole fleet of boats, and open your own cannery. Eventually you could move to America and list your company on the Stock Exchange. "The Mexican said, "How long will this all take? "The businessman replied, "15 -- 20 years." "What then?" asked the Mexican. The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part. You will become so wealthy you can stop working. You can move to a coastal fishing village and live a peaceful life--sleep late, play with the grandkids, take siestas with your wife, and drink wine and play guitar with your amigos in the evening. " So, the moral of the story: Maybe we don't have to struggle so hard. Maybe if we stop looking so hard for peace, we will find it is already here. Resurrection is all around us, it is in the physical but it is also in the spiritual. It is part of who we are as people and we just need to slow down and take a look inside and out. My prayer for you today is that you will be able to take time, slow down, reach deep inside you to that place where the spirit dwells and surround yourself with peace.