Resisting Resistance

As a writer, I love quotations. I heard one recently that has stayed with me: When we resist what is happening, we take on the role of God without having the awareness of God. This will always cause pain and suffering.

The idea of resistance causing pain is not new, but the notion that we play God when we resist (a role I’m not up for, are you?) may be. If you’re like me, you have specific ideas of what you’d like to receive. It may be the ideal job, a loving partner, or a new car. So when we don’t get these things, when in fact we get the opposite, isn’t it easy to resist what’s happened? I find the reminder that I don’t have the awareness of God to be gentle, yet effective in allowing me to trust that there is a better way in the works. It may take some time to appear, longer than I’d like, but riding it out has proven to be the easiest approach in the long run.

So when clients cancel, the car breaks down, it rains when I planned a hike, or much worse happens, I’m making it a point to remember that my view of the situation is pretty limited. Instead, I look for what’s being offered in place of what I desired, and in so doing, I’m learning to receive with grace and ease.