Accept What Is
by Fr.Gus Carter
11/05

We are coming to the end of the Church's liturgical year. These days the readings at Mass consider the judgment of God and the fate of humans. The judgment of God does not come unexpectedly. Many of the things that happen in life tell us what God's judgment will be like.

We are fortunate if we truly see our lives as gifts from God. We believe that a gracious God granted us life out of love for us. We believe in God's providential care. No matter what happens our Creator is there to bring good out of every situation. Buddhist believe in karma. The choices of our lives shape our destiny. Good choices make for a good life; bad choices lead to suffering. We are aware that bad human choices have brought vast sufferings to humanity. Yet the great mystics of Islam taught that everything is a mercy. There are always blessings in even seemingly disastrous events.

In much Christian literature these days we read of authors encouraging us to say "yes" to God. The Buddhists encourage us to "Accept what is." David Richo in his book titled "The Five Things We Cannot Change" writes, when we resists reality, life becomes an endless series of disappointments, frustration and sorrow." Some of the realities we cannot change are: 1) things do not always go according to plan; 2) life is not always fair; 3) people are not loving and loyal all the time. These are facts of life over which we are powerless. We humans tend to want to control everything. Richo says, ""the realities of life defy and terrorize the mighty ego that insists on full control." Unpleasant facts remind us that we are not in control.

Again I quote Richo, "Life happens to us in its own way, no matter how much we may protest or seek to dodge it. If we cannot tolerate the realities of life , we add stress to our lives by fighting a losing game." He follows by saying, "We can learn to accept life on its own terms. We can even find its terms satisfactory"

We can craft a sane and authentic life by saying 'yes' to life just as it is. Indeed, our path is 'what is."

This "yes" to life is a courageous act. We become aligned to reality. Once we trust reality more than our hopes and expectations, our "yes" becomes an "open sesame" to spiritual surprises. Again I quote Richo, "Yes' is the brave ally of serenity. 'No' is the scared accomplice to anxiety." Richo says that we find help in saying "yes" and in facing reality Through mindfulness - that is, through fearless and patient attention of the present moment.

When something happens to us that calls to mind the painful realities of life, we can ask, "What can I learn from this? How does this serve my life?" Richo concludes, "We can trust that the laws of existence somehow help us achieve our destiny. When we are mindful, we meet each moment with openness, curiosity and kindness. Mindfulness is both a state of being and a daily spiritual practice, a font of meditation.

The things we cannot change in life remind us that anything can happens to anyone. This help us become humble and helps us feel our comradeship with our fellow humans. We are consoled by our sense of belonging, of being in this life with everyone else, no matter how difficult life may become.