“For so it must be, and help me to do my part.” -- A Tibetan Master
It’s been said that God exists only in the present. That means we must live in the present if we are to find God. In God’s eyes, we are worthy and loveable as we are, today. ‘God never rejects part of creation.
Can we accept that our God, Higher Power or Universe loved us even we were at our very worst? Can we accept that God loves us if we are struggling, or slipping today? If this happens, we can pick ourselves up again and make better choices and pray to God for help.
The power of the present makes it possible for God to love each one of us unconditionally because God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, just willing to do our very best. Only in the present do we have the power to choose our attitudes and actions, and it is this freedom that links us to God’s power.
I love the Broadway musical Wicked. For those readers unfamiliar with the story, it is based on the best-selling novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory McGuire which runs parallel to the classic novel by L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Wicked tells the story of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Their friendship causes them to face their opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, their reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government and ultimately, Elphaba's public fall from grace. The plot is set mostly before Dorothy's arrival from Kansas and includes several references to well-known scenes and dialogue in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz as a back-story.
Wicked is running here in the Phoenix metro area at Tempe’s Gammage Auditorium throughout the month of July, 2009. Find out if Wicked is coming to your area and check this musical out. In the meantime, I wanted to share the lyrics to a song from Wicked. The song is sung between Elphaba and Glinda, just before the finale. I've shared the lyrics to Defying Gravity from Wicked in an earlier post.
For Good
(Elphaba)
I'm limited Just look at me - I'm limited. And just look at you You can do all I couldn't do, Glinda. So now it's up to you For both of us - now it's up to you...
(Glinda)
I've heard it said That people come into our lives for a reason Bringing something we must learn And we are led To those who help us most to grow If we let them And we help them in return Well, I don't know if I believe that's true But I know I'm who I am today Because I knew you
Like a comet pulled from orbit As it passes a sun Like a stream that meets a boulder Halfway through the wood Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you I have been changed for good
(Elphaba)
It well may be That we will never meet again In this lifetime So let me say before we part So much of me Is made of what I learned from you You'll be with me Like a handprint on my heart And now whatever way our stories end I know you have re-written mine By being my friend...
Like a ship blown from its mooring By a wind off the sea Like a seed dropped by a sky bird In a distant wood Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you
(Glinda)
Because I knew you (Both) I have been changed for good
(Elphaba)
And just to clear the air I ask forgiveness For the thing I've done you blame me for
(Glinda)
But then, I guess we know There's blame to share
(Both) And none of it seems to matter anymore
(Glinda)
Like a comet pulled from orbit As it passes a sun Like a stream that meets a boulder Halfway through the wood
(Elphaba)
Like a ship blown from its mooring By a wind off the sea Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood
(Both)
Who can say if I've been Changed for the better? I do believe I have been Changed for the better
(Glinda)
And because I knew you...
(Elphaba)
Because I knew you...
(Both)
Because I knew you... I have been changed for good.
This song has inspired me at a time when I have been feeling challenged by my relationships. Some of my relationships seem static and difficult. I have begun to wonder if it would be in the best interest of both of us to move along.
"And when I see you happy, well, it sets my heart free. I'd like to be as good a friend to you as you are to me." -- Joni Mitchell
Friends are one of the greatest gifts and they come as a result of a life that's sane and manageable. It takes time and energy to make and keep good friends, but the rewards are worth it. To these most special people we can gladly give our honesty, our fidelity, our trust, and our unconditional acceptance.
As friendship grows, we find ourselves more able to understand our friend's needs. Is there a child to be watched or perhaps a kitchen that could really use a cleaning? Can we listen emphatically, without judging, to whatever a friend is going through? When a friend is sick, are we ready to help out? Can we put aside our needs because a friend's need is greater at the moment than our own?
Through our efforts toward personal growth, we build the skills it takes to be a good friend, we can let go and let our friendships develop naturally. Then, we will be able to trust the bond of love between our friends and us.
This blog is dedicated to three very special friends who have given me much support: David, Keith and Teri. Thank you, my special friends!
Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free. Tis a gift to come round to where we ought to be.
And when we find a place that feels just right, We will be in the valley of Love and Delight.
-- Appalachian folk song
Take time today to feel your gratitude and joy. Our true Self is emerging and becoming more present every day. For this we may all be grateful. We are taking those all important baby steps to rebuild our self-esteem. We are worthwhile and loveable, and for all this we can be grateful.
Just as we know joy, we have known sorrow and we will know both again because that is the nature of life. If we trust that the Universe is turning everything that happens to our good, we can truly say, “Thy will, not mine, be done.” Is it asking too much to be grateful for everything that happens to us? I must admit that on some days, it certainly seems so. But I have found that those days pass, and after they do, I once again begin to see my purpose in life. It is then that I feel content, knowing that I possess the promise as well as the reality of this new life I have chosen.
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