Living for the sake of others takes many forms

Today I want to relate the story of two nurses who work at the chemotherapy/infusion center near the Community Hospital of my town. Their names, it took me six chemo sessions to finally remember their names. They don’t look alike; they are not twins by any means. However, as nurses of a very specialized medical center - they are alike. 

As patients we know very little about them. Why? Because once they step into the Chemo Center (as I call it) at 7:00am in the morning, they have left their personal lives at home. The only thing they think about is every patient they will interact with that day. Their temperament brings joy, hope and a sense of calmness. 

They are attentive to the needs of everyone. It is just as if I and I alone, was there that day. You do not have a sense that something in their minds or hearts may be troubling them, because their personal lives are just not showing. They are fully and completely engrossed in the well-being of their patients. 

To me, this is truly a quality that is worth mentioning because I don’t think what they do is easy at all. As patients we all are different. Some of us have it easy, but some of us are suffering … a lot, yet all of us at the center receive the same kindness, the same attention, and the same love. This love is a total and unconditional love given freely to the person in need. So yes, these ladies truly deserve the recognition for their practice of “living for the sake of others”, which is the only way to live if we sincerely want to create a meaningful and lasting peace.

This was originally published in West Hawaii Today newspaper sometime towards the end of the year 2009. The author is I, Anne-Marie Mylar. I have had extensive surgery for breast cancer, received chemotherapy, then radiation, then had to take pills for several years after that.

Relationship with God

I discovered the writing below, today on my computer while searching for something else and I wanted to share it.

You shouldn’t forget that while you lived as an embryo, you not only received nutrition from your mother but you also received love from her. Likewise, people living on earth are not only receiving physical nutrition from the universe but also love from God, who is the essential element of life. (Blessed Family -1062) CSG page 452

This morning, January 21, 2012 reading the passage above from CSG I understood for the first time the meaning of what it means “Indirect relationship with God, while in a period of growth”. I went further in my understanding. I also believe that I understand more clearly the dilemma of abortion.

Korean tradition of love and respect towards elders.

While in the womb, the embryo has no concept of God, but do receive love through the mother. The relationship with God and the outside world, from the embryo point of view only takes place through the mother. If we transfer this to our lives on earth, then we can say that as we come out of the womb, our life as spiritual being is in a stage of embryo and the only way that we can possibly feel God and the value of the entire universe, especially the spiritual world, is through the Parents who have given us life.

As we grow and development our understanding of our world and expend our ability to love, we become more independent and capable of relating to God on our own and therefore also relate to the universe on our own. By the time we reach maturity, by no means tells us that we have learned everything, but maturity is the time that we are judged capable to take responsibility for ourselves and for someone else’s life as well. And so, we become parents ourselves and the circle starts all over.

A Prayer

Beloved Heavenly Father! Today is October 5, 1998, which is also Chuseok in Korea, a day of celebration on which the people honor their ancestors. You have worked endlessly to establish the realm of liberation for the Old, New and Completed Testament ages in history to ease Your grief over not having seen this world become a settlement of love, in which all forms of creation, all people in the spirit world, countless believers, and all things created with love and living on earth would have lived together with You. Today, before heaven and earth, Cheongpyeong in Korea, and the people gathered here in São Paulo in the western world, please bring to an end the sorrowful history that You have had to endure, (296-9, 1998.10.5)

One may not necessarily understand or even approved of Rev. Sun Myung Moon, but when I read the prayer above I sure don't see anything wrong with it.  I wish our world would be the way he is praying for.  I have not lived an impossible dream.  I truly believe that with conscious effort we can make our world a peaceful, joyful, and loving one.

Perfection is a Moving Target

I am perfect when, as a newborn, I cry for attention and think only of myself.

I am perfect when, at six years old, I write on the wall with my new crayons and run in a mud puddle with my new shoes.

 I am perfect when, at sixteen years old, I want to change the world, cry out for peace and freedom, and challenge the authorities

I am perfect when, at twenty-six years old, I seek for long-term companionship, look for stability in my new job, try to understand the world around me, and make efforts to belong. 

I am perfect when, at thirty-six years old, I volunteer as coach for the middle school Girls softball team, I camp out with my son and his boy-scout group, I donate blood occasionally. When I try to be the best I can be, seeking God guidance every day. When I obey the good laws, and involve myself in trying to change what I feel are inadequate or bad laws.

I am perfect when, at forty-six years old, I cry within my soul for the suffering of humankind, I have no hate in my heart for evil, but I hope that even It, someday will feel love and compassion.

I am old today; I have no fear of death. I did my best and helped the world to be a better place. I thank God for His constant presence, His patience, and His love. I dream of a peaceful word and seek to help it from the world I am about to reach. I am perfect.

 

Anne-Marie Mylar
 PS: "I" does not mean “me, the author” it refers to any individual who is seeking to reach the ultimate embodiment of God’s nature.

The Three Blessings

Last night as I reflected on my day, the, "Three Blessings" mentioned in the Bible came to mind.  We have been educated to think of them in relationship to a person individual growth.  However, I came to remember some other teachings that told me that when God created, "Man", he created a very complex being that encompassed all the elements of the created world before Him.  I was also told that God's Principle is found at all levels of the creation, from the cellular level to the most complex level of creation, humans.

I came to reflect that God's Principle and laws are not only a part or segment of His creation but for all of His creation, and therefore the, "Three Blessings" need to be applied at more than just an individual’s growth.  For example, a group of people, like a church or a movement, may need to follow these principles in order so that God's blessings can be received.

To become fruitful, for a tree it is easy, but for a human being it is a lot more complex.  And, as I have been taught it does not only mean to reach maturity physically, but it also means to reach maturity spiritually.  Before one can multiply as a movement, a church, a group of people, it must fulfill the first blessing, first, so that growth in numbers can really take place in a very large and God's centered way.

Weapon? or no Weapon?

Ignorance breeds fear, fear breeds war, war breeds resentment and suffering to the killers and to the victims and under mind their ability to think rationally about a world without violence. Ultimately the best weapon of all is education. I am not talking about math and science here, I am talking about learning how to love even those who think differently, pray differently and live differently than I.

Eliminating our ability to be greedy, selfish, intolerant, and afraid of what we don’t know will ultimately be the only way for us to avoid picking up our weapon and shoot because we are scared.

We, as a society, keep on arguing over things that cannot be solved (gun no gun, abort or not abort, gay or no gay, God in school not God in school, etc.) instead of fighting loosing battles why don’t we try to pick battles that actually can be won. Don’t try to educate me about the value of a gun in my house or the value of not having one. Educate me and educate the world about the value of practicing the ultimate act of true love, living my life for the sake of others. What does that mean? Really? Why don’t we discuss this instead? That is a very difficult subject, which we know very little about, but that is the only “weapon” that will save us all.

God's piece of cake!

If there’s no ring on your hand, God will put a diamond ring of the Kingdom of Heaven on your finger.

I have found myself at odds with some Unificationists in the past because of desperation over not being blessed or not having children. There is nothing more important to a follower of Rev. Moon than the marriage blessing and building a family centered on God. So, if one find that they cannot or have not done that, for some reason, they feel failure and more over they feel doom that they will never be able to experience spousal love and parental love.

Experiencing God’s love in all its forms is a pre-requisite in reaching the highest realm of the spiritual world.

On the other end, let’s think some more, God is a parental God; he will never be satisfied unless every individuals that has ever been born has the ability to reach the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, I don’t have to think very hard to know that there will be a way for people who passed on to the spiritual world without receiving the marriage blessing and/or having children to experience the love of a spouse, the love of children, and the love of a parent. I don’t know the details but I do know that it must be so.

The words I read today from Rev. Moon gives me a hint that I am correct in my thinking and that we must not judge ourselves with things that we may not be able to control but instead make each day count as a day closer to become the loving person God wants us to be.  The rest is just a “piece of cake” for God.

In general when human beings think about eternal life, they think of it not only in terms of decades or centuries, but in millennia, tens of millennia or eons. When people die, they are no different from animals. What use is it to leave anything behind? Nowadays, even atheists and agnostics say to themselves: “Ah, I have to make a name for myself.” Yet, of what use is it to do that? Even if one became an American patriot and were honored with a monument, it would disappear when America perishes. What use is it to leave your name behind? Even if you did so, historically speaking, something that was considered good during a period of prosperity can later be viewed as bad during a period of decline. (103-15, 1979.1.28)

God’s purpose is to have His posterity populate the earth. Therefore, when we go before God in the spirit world, having left behind children of the Living God on earth, we also come to stand in His position. That indeed, is the meaning of the scripture, “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” (146-223, 1986.3.11)

What will you do in your life? Leave a tomb of love behind. Let us leave a tomb of love behind! If you live inside a tomb of love, you will feel no bitter sorrow. You may get tired of living in a place like a tomb, but will feel no bitter sorrow if you live in love. If we leave a tomb of love behind in our lifetime, our life will be a success for eternity. If you live like that and die, God will bring His sons and daughters to welcome you in the spirit world. If there’s no ring on your hand, God will put a diamond ring of the Kingdom of Heaven on your finger. If you’re not well-dressed, God will dress you in the richest apparel fit for the royalty of the Kingdom of Heaven. (97-167, 1978.3.12) CSG page 591 Rev. Sun Myung Moon