I have never claimed to be enlightened, although many make that claim. Oh, you can understand enlightenment intellectually, but that is of no consequence.
Intellectual understanding is the booby prize. It is the price you pay for lying to yourself.
Yes, thoughts lie to us all day long and we insist on listening to them, don’t we? After all, thoughts are what we learn in school (are programmed to believe.)
I wrestle with my mind daily. It tries to get me to play false in order to please people. And I do this year in and year out. It leaves me exhausted but not humbled.
Being humbled is not something that is taught in schools. Instead we are taught to be nice.
To finish first in the eyes of God, we must be happy finishing last. This is called surrender.
Society does not call for surrender; it calls for obedience.
I am tired of being obedient to the false, so I stand alone in my truth.
After a while I notice that it feels good to stand alone.
Now I am being made whole. I am not whole, but I can be in a process of being made whole.
I can be instructed by the silent voice inside of me.
I sense it rather than talk about it. It is my protection, my shield, my healing.
Humility loses in a social setting, but when I am alone in my confession, humility arises.
And that is a good thing.
Vicki Woodyard