Tuesday, January 9, 2023
When I was department chair at the university, I would receive a multitude of complaints. There was rarely anything I could do to change what prompted the complaint, however. The situation was unchangeable, yet they felt the department chair should move heaven and earth to “make” them happy. Earth is unmovable. Earth won’t budge for the belligerent; but heaven can always be moved with a little turn-around dance. Remember from yesterday’s post that heaven is a metaphor of the inward condition. And when the heavenly dance comes around first, the earth strangely follows.
One of my favorite hymns is a Shaker tune whose text goes “When true simplicity is gained, To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed, To turn, turn will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.”
Just by turning ‘round right, you can change the world! Emotions aren’t caused by results. Results are caused by emotions! Joyful and delightful things happen to people who are joyful and delightful no matter how immovable earth seems. It’s the enthusiastic, the simple, and those who bow and bend that tend to set the world on fire, getting it to move and dance in a favorable direction! Complainers and bullies tend to make the world backfire, getting it to belch and stumble!
Just by turning, making slight adjustments in how you see things inwardly, you can affect things outwardly. Be first to turn ‘round right! You can make your inner self turn to see the bright side; then that dance sparks outer rightness and brightness. Be the first to let go and be happy with what is; then, watch how your life turns towards you! When the world won’t budge, and it’s got it’s back to you, be the first to forgive, the first to accept, and the first to soften your heart. Turn heaven around first, then earth will start dancing with you.