I enjoyed the book, The Five Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. It was insightful, true, but I have always looked for more guidance, and not what applies to everyone to the point of being bestseller information. My prayers, like those of millions of other people, beg for guidance on what I am supposed to do. What should I be doing with my gifts? How should I be using opportunities? In any given moment, what should I do, how should I act?
About ten years ago, I created a speech titled “Effecting Change: Three Things to Do, One Way to Do It.” No matter what kind of change you are trying to implement – personal or professional, financial or spiritual, individual or organizational, subtle or profound – there are simple actions to keep in mind. I defer to that wisdom often…but, it wasn’t enough. It became clear that secular wisdom was useful, but not what I craved. I needed to know what to do in the moments to prepare me for eternity.
In late summer of 2021, my acquaintanceship with COVID-19 provided me a week in the hospital, which provided time for thinking once my condition improved enough to be able to able to do so. Prayer was part of that, and several of the nurses and technicians who cared for me shared their faith stories. Two weeks recovering at home provided more time for reading, writing and praying, much of which was along the lines of, “Thank you for saving me. There must be something that I am supposed to do. What is it?”
In a moment of great clarity, I was “told” what to do. The directions were quite clear: “Feed my sheep. Tell them that I love them. Remind them that life is beautiful.” The message is emblazoned in my mind; I wish remembering to act out on the instructions was as easy to follow. Three steps. Just three, yet so hard to be mindful of at all times. They should influence each breath I take, each time I create, each action I commit to, each…everything. Clear instructions are not necessarily easy.
I am thankful for the guidance. Now I pray for the grace to remember and act in each moment according to the three instructions. While I felt they were shared with me, I suspect that they may also answer questions that you may have, too.