Thursday's Thoughts

As I sit here waiting for the second half of the termite team to arrive, I wonder why on earth I listened to that man - the one whose heart I thought sincere and whose mind I easily came to respect. He gave advice on how to handle a termite infestation and like most of what he represented, it was bogus. It is a great lesson on how to deliver a sales pitch - deliver it like you absolutely have the final authority on any topic, treat another as if they are crazy to question you and there is nothing that will stand in your way of success. Yes, I did learn much from that man...I just never expected to learn a lesson in brilliance.

Indeed, this brings me to question the meaning of brilliance. A song may be delivered in brilliance, bringing an audience to tears. A baby in the womb is evidence of God's brilliance - perfect and complete in every way. And evil can be brilliant as was evident in this man. He used others for his own personal enjoyment. He was a fool's master. With that having been said, let it also be known that the lesson learned is that one must follow their intuition. That baseline gut feeling that tells you something does not feel right must be honored. I believe that intuition is a gift we all possess but are not finely tuned enough to realize its signficance, often until it too late.

What did I lose? When all if safely back in its place, nothing but a sense of pride, I suppose. And I gained so much from the experience. I found myself in a deeper, more profound relationship with God as a direct result of knowing that man. I was once again reminded of the good in most people and in my authentic ways. Yes, I loved him. What does that say about me? In a nutshell, it reminds me of my human failings...yet also says that in believing in good over evil, expecting success over failure and trusting in God's plan for my life, nothing can permanently harm me. It is merely a stepping stone to becoming the person I need to be. I actually am grateful for the experience of loving him. Being capable of giving so much of myself to another...to the world and being secure in that knowledge is refreshing. It simply must be used on something worthwhile. He is not magic, as he so fervently believed. He is just a man...and he has a long, hard road ahead of him.

Only sadness comes to mind in knowing that this man used his enormous intelligence, talent and brilliance to the detriment of many he claimed he loved. Yet, in that sadness and lesson, birthed a butterfly out of a crysalis. A beautiful metamorphis took place in remembering my God in all of it.