Founders ...ALL

When I was in the monastery we were always talking about "new foundations". At the time we were about 130 and with 13 novices in the community, the future for the abbey looked bright. So ... a decision to "found' a new community in Orangeville Ontario was planned. Once the plans were in place it took a long time to muster the manpower to do this and in the intervening time the Abbey's membership began to decline dramatically. Novices and Professed (meaning monks under vows) left suddenly with no undertanding why. Older members began to pass on and the community began to decline. It was clear that the momentum for the foundation had been lost ... and it went ahead anyway. I heard a couple of years ago that after struggling to survive for several years the remaining monks in Orangeville, discouraged and resigned returned to the nest in Quebec to bolster the now foundering mother house. As of this writing, the Abbey itself, shrunk to about 40 members almost all of whom are older, is selling its vast property of 1600 acres and the now unmanageable house built for 170 monks at its height. They are moving to a new home which looks to all intents and purposes as if it will be a retirement home for the last remaining members of the community.

Why am I telling you this story? I believe the Universe only knows how to grow things, people, worlds, ideas, plans, projects and foundations. It just gives; says "yes". If I live in hesitation and fear and make that my "plan" then the Universe, God, says yes and I get more hesitation and fear ... well you get the picture. There is a right time to do things and it is the time we think of doing it and all of our energies have to put to the project then and there. When the energy gets put elsewhere then the Universe supports "elsewhere". I can say I am committed to the new foundation but where is my energy ... REALLY? Ernest Holmes used to say change your mind but most importantly "keep it changed".

If you've decided to do something, commit to something, then really commit. Chopra says our fear of commitment is rooted in the fact that after we commit we are forced to live mentally and emotionally in the void of not knowing where our commitment will take us; what we'll look like a week, month or year from now. Commitment is the place of faith in unfolding good in our lives, free of expectation and frankly it is not always a comfortable place.

When I made my commitment to the Founders program last week. I really had no way of being sure that my income would support my tithes. What I did know however was that the Universe would support my fear ... as well as my faith. So what did I want more of ... more fear? more faith? When I fell in love with my partner, when we made our commitment to one another. I didn't know how we would be together, one year later, what problems we would face, what conflicts would arise but I knew that God would support my love ... or my fear. I chose and continue to choose love. What keeps showing up is more love.

I guess I'm a founder ...laying the foundation of everything in my life. You heard me say that yesterday perhaps. My circumstances are not creating my experience. I am. I need to remind myself of that constantly. Love, money, health, employment, connection to God. More about connection God ... tomorrow. Gotta run!!