Scanning for Teachers

So it took me many years, but I finally became teachable.

Becoming teachable has resulted in my scanning the landscape for teachers.

I found a teacher the other day and I've kept her in my heart. It happened like this:

It took me 40 minutes to get a phone. Unfortunately there was a mother with a toddler behind me. This meant she waited 40 minutes to even begin what she came for.

During that 40 minutes, she calmly, caringly gave her daughter attention on a little blanket on the floor.

And there was no passive aggressive, grim smiling when she finally was waited on.

I observed a calm, centered, embracing-of-life, with no passive aggressive I'll-be-nice-but-I'm-not-liking-this-nor-you attitude.

(sigh)

Being Good - Good for Me

I have in my mind a metaphor which helps me picture the relationship between a loving God and the benefits of virtue. Here is the metaphor.

Jesus and I are standing at the base of a large tree. We are together. He encourages me to climb the tree (embrace the virtues - do the hard work of incorporating the virtues till they become a part of who I am).

He says He is with me whether at the base of the tree (no work, no virtues) or while climbing, (neither here nor there - work, but no virtues in place) or at the top of the tree (virtues established).

But He encourages me to climb because of the view at the top. He wants to give me joy. The virtues are encouraged because they will result in joy for me.

He is with me no matter whether I begin the journey, while on the journey or at the top with a spectacular view all mine. And I am not climbing for God - He has already seen the view. I am not being good for Him - I am being good for me! (Good for me!)

The incomplete part of this metaphor is that the hard work and the establishing of virtues, in reality, results in a weaving among people that this metaphor doesn't address. Also, even though there is no proof of this, I believe every virtuous life raises the Sea of Goodness on earth, thereby eventually bring forth the Sea of the Kingdom of God.