It is a relatively short ride from Singapore’s central business district to my apartment. Physically it is not that far. Traffic, with the exceptions of the short morning and evening rush, is reasonable. In the process of getting from A to B, I know that everything in life will be the same when I arrive as when I left.
On yesterday’s ride, I turned onto Havelock Road and was hit by a blast of hot dry air. The abrupt shift from being in the shadows and shade with a cooling breeze was sudden and unexpected. Nothing indicated that things would be different. The blast triggered a mind jump. In one instant I was in the tropics working through the challenges at hand. In the next I was riding the deserted back roads of the high desert of Nevada or Southern California. Everything turned. Images, memories, and pressing thoughts repainted themselves effortlessly. Whatever I was thinking about vanished, replaced by something new.
As I pulled into the underground parking lot, my mind began to explore other instances where a trigger took me from A to B. As I reflected on the scenes, I realized that triggers, radical shifts were good friends. The question that I found myself wrestling with was why. Why then, why now? Why not whenever I need something different?
I did not come away with any new insights. I did realize that a key for me with triggers was being open to the fact that they exist. A willingness to let one’s senses inform and guide is essential to seeing and responding to the triggers in my life. A willingness to experience fully and completely what life offers can be a step into more.
As the memories replayed, I found myself in the midst of a David psalm, “all through the wild meadows, rose petals. Set the hills to dancing!” (Psalm 65.12) Experience tells a story that Divinity is on our side, reaching out, offering triggers of hope and possibilities. Although challenges and chaos remain, each day brings triggers inviting one into experiencing more.
