H.U.G Corner: Thought of the Week 9/11

Quiet Mind: One-Minute Retreats from a Busy World

One of the gifts that comes from quiet time is openness to receive what is offered to you. But tagging along on the heels of openness, of course, is vulnerability. It’s just the nature of things that when you are open, you are vulnerable. You won’t miss the wonders that are available but you can also get hurt or become overwhelmed. It’s a risk.

Here is a recent experience of my friend Bob: He had just taken his assigned seat on the aisle in the rear of the packed airplane and was getting settled when a man approached him and said, “You’re in my seat, you’ll have to move.” Bob checked his ticket and saw that he was indeed in the seat the ticket indicated.

The man in turn produced a ticket with the same seat number and said in a loud voice, “Well, you have to move to some other seat. I always sit here and I am going to sit here now.” All eyes and ears were focused on what was becoming a small scene.

Bob, standing by now, considered his options. When the flight attendant approached, he said, “If this man wants to sit here, that’s fine, I’ll sit somewhere else.”

Gloating, the man forthwith took the seat while the flight attendant- in slightly raised voice- said to Bob, “Thank you, sir. There is a free seat in first class, please follow me.”

Bob followed his desire to be cooperative and peaceful and took a risk of being seen as the loser in an argument.

The quote, “NO, No, it is not somebody who wants to harm us. It is three strange angels. Admit them.”

My friend Bob took the risk and didn’t miss the angels. He would not have missed the angels even if there were no free seat in first class.

Watch for three strange angels today (or maybe just one….or five).