Doing God's Work

Rev. Michael Beckwith has a wonderful phrase that goes something like this: "We are made in the image and likeness of God . . . and have been attempting to return the favor ever since!"

In the last month, as I shared earlier, I let go of my daytime job. A job that I loved dearly. A job that I used sometimes to define myself. Certainly, as I have been adjusting to this change, there has been a big re-calibration taking place in my life. I feel some of the aches and pains that had been hidden in my maxed-out schedule. 40 hours at work; book promotion; coaching clients. In amongst all of these, exercise, meditation, and family time had become other tasks to check off.

Today, I have much more space in my life, for family, meditation, for quiet time, and, yes, for running! And, interestingly, I find that there are times when this space can close in on me. I get bursts of fear. How will I manage financially? Am I just being lazy? Am I deluding myself? I must get up and do, do, DO!

As Neale Donald Walsch shared as a part of his Commencement Address at the University of Santa Monica's Graduation ceremonies in 2005 (you can hear part of this address here), "We can do our dance of doing all we want; doing this and doing that; doing this and doing that; and winding up with a great big pile of do-do!"

I see my need to keep doing all that time as an ego-driven desire to do God's work. It is not my place to know HOW my life will unfold. That is God's work, as I see it. My place is to follow my heart, the inspiration I receive, and live in integrity. I am trusting that Spirit will handle the rest.

So what did I do this morning? I lay on the couch for an hour with my two-year-old fast asleep in my arms. And as I watched her eyelids flutter in dreamland and listened to her soft breath and deep, peaceful sighs as she journeyed deeper into her sleep, I did some of the hardest work I've done in months—allowed my heart to stretch and accommodate the love that rose in my heart.

Now that is work worth doing!