Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.
My cup runneth over.
— Psalm 23:5
I live in an eternal now which is filled with good alone.
— The Science of Mind, page 264
The Strawberry
I was enrolled in a graduate course called “Counseling and Guidance,” and one day we were talking about the fear of dying. A young woman began to speak of her experience: “A member of my family has only two months to live, and the youngest son is so frightened.”
Later on in the class, we discovered she was the family member who was to die. This is what she told us: “Several months ago, when I first found out, I thought I would do many spectacular things, like travel all over the world. But all at once I reached a calm place way down deep inside me. Then I began living one day at a time, cherishing the small events of each day. I guess what I’m saying, in essence, is that it’s the now which matters.”
This is much like the Zen story of a monk who was being chased by two tigers. He came to the edge of a cliff and began letting himself down by a vine. Looking up he saw two mice gnawing away at the vine. Looking down he noticed two more tigers awaiting him at the bottom of the chasm. Just then he saw a beautiful strawberry growing within his arm’s reach. He picked it and enjoyed the best strawberry he’d ever tasted.
So, what will it be for you today, my friend? Tigers? Mice? Or strawberries?
I give everything I have to this day.
I do not worry about future possibilities.
I do not dwell on the gnawing feelings of past disappointments.
I feast on all the beautiful strawberries prepared for me.
Thank You, Father, for this banquet.
My cup runneth over.
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