Stand Down

 I’m a big believer in jumping in where angels fear to tread.  Right a wrong, take stand, do something!  A few months ago I was ready to take a stand about a situation I saw unfolding.  I did what I always do, prayed and sat in silence listening for a deeper wisdom to pierce my blindness. The problem was that when my inner guidance came it was not what I expected.   Day after day, it came loud and strong, ‘stand down, do nothing.’ What the hell? 

The not so distant past has taught me the value of trusting my inner knowing even when it goes against my nature as it often seems to do.  Heartbreak and hard times teach their lessons well. I reluctantly did nothing. I made a deliberate choice every day to trust the unfolding of what was yet to be.  That’s faith for you.  I don’t always like it or do it well.  I wish I did, but I am who I am.  

Did I mention that I did nothing reluctantly? I called my friend Florie to get a second opinion. And by get a second opinion I mean I wanted her to tell me my inner knowing was wrong and I should jump right on in and raise hot, holy hell.  She of course didn’t do that.  “Call it whatever you want. Call it shishkible if you want, but do it. Do nothing.”   Dang, I hate it when she’s right and I can’t do what I want, which is why I call her. Saner minds should prevail.

Shishkible it is and here’s the thing, it’s not easy  to wait when you’re a recovering gun slinger who was raised to believe that shoot first and ask questions later is a virtue.  I don’t do waiting well. That’s what stand down, or in my case shishkible, means, wait. Stand ready and alert, but nothing more, take no action.  Only now, several months down the road do I see that rushing in would have served my needs at the expense of the situation I’m trying to help. There are times when you don’t know what you think you know or when what you think you know is just down right wrong.  Standing down creates space for Spirit to have a voice. We have to know when it’s time get out of the way. 

 We don’t have control over every situation however much we want to believe we do. The most we can do is to control our attitude and practice non resistance.  We don’t know everything even when we think we do, especially then.  Closed minded certainty is always a mark of your ego getting in the way.  Stand down, know when the best thing you can do is do nothing. Listen and have a little faith. That’s when the magic of creation unfolds.  It’s either fear or love, baby. 



    

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