Aspen Park Church - A Place to Grow in Love
A Seventh-day Adventist Congregation
A Seventh-day Adventist Congregation
A Bowl Of Light  By Glenn Sackett  A Bowl of Light If you have an ear for a story, I have a story for your ear, an ancient Hawaiian story.
You and I were born with a bowl of light. Everyone is, according to this story. The light is your happiness; the bowl is your life. With the gift of your life comes happiness. And there you have it: happiness, always to be with you as long as you live. Except… There is one exception: If you put rocks in your bowl of light, the rocks will stop the flow of light. Oh the light is still there, but you will not experience that happiness. Instead of light, heaviness, darkness; instead of happiness, well, you know…
Any time you discover that you have lost your light of happiness, you can get the light back. How? It’s quite simple, really: You turn the bowl up-side-down, the rocks fall out and the bowl will again be filled with light. You’re happiness returns.
If it’s really that simple why doesn’t everyone do it already? Because simple doesn’t mean easy. It’s not easy because...because the bowl you need to turn over is…your life! How easy is it to turn your life over? To literally change your life? It requires some gymnastics, in this case some mental/spiritual gymnastics because the rocks are thoughts.
Two kinds of rocks crowd out the light of happiness. Each rock represents a heavy thought by which we give away the power of our happiness to something outside ourselves.
One rock is lili, a thought by which I give away my happiness to some thing. I do this by thinking “I would be happy if only…” It might be something I would like to have in my life that isn’t there, a dream house, car or vacation; a better job, office or equipment. It might be something I have I wish I didn’t: a problem, the weather, the traffic, a red light, a rule or policy. In English, giving away our power of happiness to a thing is called envy. This heavy, dark thought crowds out the light of happiness.
Another rock is nini, a thought by which I give away my happiness to another person. I’m thinking “I would be happy if only…” It might be a better neighbor, lover, driver, co-worker, boss or patient. Maybe someone I wish would go away. Maybe someone who’s missing I wish were here. Maybe someone I wish would show up in a different way. In English, giving away our power of happiness to a person is called jealousy. This heavy, dark thought crowds out the light of happiness.
Recovering happiness, this simple revolution of thought, is seldom a solo effort. While it may not “take a village” to help, most people find the encouragement, the accountability and the “eyes and ears” of an ally to be essential. That ally may be found in a partner, mentor, spiritual guide or in a Divine Presence. Do you know who your allies are? |