It is very easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. There are just too many ways!
While I am in the middle of an argument, do I stop to figure out or care about who is right or wrong?
As I drive through traffic, does the immediate game of getting ahead of car A or car consume me while I unwittingly ignoring the larger question of where I should be going?
Do I make and worship myself as God, building a rock of self-esteem so that I can survive and worship there?
As I get older, I realize, often after the fact, arguments are usually about winning and rarely about love. I would prefer to leave someone with the knowledge that I love them rather come away victorious from a verbal joust. Driving through traffic is an opportunity to express my belief and confidence in relationship, not an experiment in survival of the fittest.
Self-esteem and survival are different. Is this really a true statement or an extension of the fundamental building block in life? Am I building my life on an ultimate falsehood that I experience every day? Can I muster the courage to face the truth?
The truth is that I do not really understand the bigger picture; most of life is a mystery that continues to unravel. The fact is that I carry with me doubts, anger, and fears that grow, not shrink or go away, though my actions and choices. I want to know why I am here. I need to understand what makes me valuable. The answers are also the solution to the thirst within me to know the Divine.
“Start with God – the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.” (Proverbs 1.7) Yet, I do it every day. God continues to express his love and unconditional acceptance! God's action to restore me to my full potential defines my worth! Today is square zero; it can be a fresh beginning or a continuation of the bitter ending.
