How to Weather the Storms in Life | Rev. John Riley

Out here on my own. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt that at one point or another in your life that you were alone, that you felt like there was nothing else around you? And yet, at that time, there was Spirit. Even at that time, there was intimate Source. Even at that time, there was abundance. The winds of change are coming. Do you feel it? You know those winds that come in right before the storm? Do you know those? Yeah. Those winds that come in. It’s like “Oh, here comes the storm.” 

Not today. It’s another beautiful day in Paradise here in the Bay Area, which is exactly what I ordered because we’re going up north to San Francisco, the city, to see for my daughter’s 13th birthday — give her a big hand, thank you very much — she won’t hear it, but I’m sure she feels it wherever she is right now. She wants to go to Japantown and because she loves that culture, she’s taking Japanese in 7th grade and plans to continue with that throughout high school, so that’s kind of exciting. And she wants that experience, so we’re heading out there this afternoon.

Changes in Life

And yet, there is change. Thirteen is that age when you shift from those really pleasant songs that your parents like to songs that your parents used to like when they were her age. And all of a sudden, she’s making that shift. It’s like, “Alright. We’re into MCA now.” If you don’t know who that is then don’t worry about it. MCR, sorry. And for me, it’s like “Oh, yeah. I remember that. In the 2000’s I was jammin’ to that. That’s cool. It’s all good.” 

But there’s change. It’s like, when looking at her — I’ve got my phone, pictures pop up, and here’s the picture of her from four years ago, this little girl with crooked teeth and a giant smile after a dance. And now she’s on the ballet company and practicing pointe. Change. And it happens so quickly. 

And yet, here we are in our lives trying to resist change. Have you noticed that? When you grow up it’s like everything’s about change. Here’s how you do two plus two. Right? Then afterwards, it’s like “No, no, it’s the same. Don’t worry about it. It’s always going to be five.” 

We’re taught to change and change and change and then all of a sudden it’s like, “No, no. Everything’s got to be exactly the same.” We try to create things that are exactly the same. We try to build things that will withstand the challenges of time like the great pyramids. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? They’re still standing. But did you know that they’ve changed? They’re not what they were when they first built them. They withstood robbers and thieves and sandstorms and time. And yet, they’re still there. And we think of them as “Oh, they’ll never change.” Yet, every day they’re changing. 

I don’t know — this picture up here, the picture for the service, it’s the idea of the willow tree. Have you ever heard of that willow tree, that you be as flexible as the willow tree? That’s how we need to be in change because the willow tree can bend and move in these great storms and not break. So, it’s a great metaphor for us. Be like that willow tree.

The Willow Tree

Now, I don’t know about you, but whenever I hear the word “willow tree” the first thing I think about is Harry Potter and the Whomping Willow. Anybody else think of that? Is that just me? Okay, five of us, three of us. I’m sure there’s some at home. The Whomping Willow. Well, if you haven’t seen Harry Potter, the gist of it is this willow tree, don’t go near it because it will whomp you. Pwhhssshee. It’s got — because it’s rooted, it’s got some angry vibes in it, I guess. The Whomping Willow is just mad at the world. I wouldn’t want to be a sparrow flying next to the Whomping Willow tree. It’s not a good thing. Birds don’t nest in it, let me just say that. 

That willow tree is a great metaphor for us when we are rooted in our anger, when we’re rooted in our unforgiveness. So, the real question is to be as flexible as the willow tree but be resilient. So, where are your roots? What are you grounded in? Are you grounded in your belief system, in your unhappiness, in your wishing that this whole thing was over, whatever that “whole thing” is? Wishing that we can go do our thing without any masks or without any restrictions or just wishing that life would change, that life would go back to normal? Have you ever heard that phrase “Oh, it’s the new normal”? I hate that word. Sorry, hate’s a strong — I was grounded in my anger there. I was whomping. 

Everything changes. Life is a continual process of change. It’s a continual flow. Everything always is changing. We don’t really notice it until we haven’t seen that grandchild in a few years and all of a sudden, they went from here to here. We don’t notice it until we see the pictures of people when they were younger and now they’re older. We don’t really notice it until you find that first grey hair and then you’re like “Oh, my God. Life is changing. I can’t believe it.” Bink. Back to the new normal. 

The Buddha was quoted as saying “Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change.” So, if all of life is flowing and changing and moving all the time, can we be a part of that? Can we recognize that and be one with that knowing that flow? It’s like that energy that flows through us, that infinite power of life, love, and wisdom, that idea of divine love, that energy, that harmonizing energy that flows. 

And we have peace and peace of mind when we flow with it instead of trying to react against it. That ever-flowing process of life, can we just relax into it and allow it to flow, allow it to take us where it’s going to take us and have the flexibility to be okay with what comes up and say “Okay, here’s what came up”? Can we have the flexibility when things start getting a little rough like all of a sudden that contractor that was assigned to work, that was working with us on this giant company product launch, all of a sudden isn’t there? Now what do we do? 

Can we have the flexibility to say “OK, there’s no platform assistant here. I have to re-learn how to be a platform leader.” I know. Don’t you feel bad for me? Can we have the flexibility that — what are the things we need flexibility for? Anybody? Shout it out. When something happens, what kind of things are happening out there in the world? COVID! Can we have the flexibility to know that “You know what? This is okay. It’s a little stylish.” This one fogs up my glasses, but I lost those, so I don’t even … 

Can we be flexible about losing our glasses? It just is. I’ve looked all over, except for where they are. They’ve moved into the realm of the invisible. They will — I will reaffirm “I will manifest then when I get home. I’m sure of it. Attract myself to them.” Just be in that flow, in the flow and flexible for what comes up, like the willow tree so when that storm comes, we’re able to bend and flow and move without losing all of our leaves, all of our hair, without pulling our hair out. 

What Are You Rooted In?

And to be flexible like that, you must be grounded and rooted in fertile soil. So, what are you rooted in? What are those thoughts and attitudes that you have that you’re rooted in? Because that’s where your grounding is. And if you’re grounded and rooted in this idea of lack and limitation and what’s not happening and the fact that I have to wear a mask and the fact that COVID is still here, if I’m so rooted in the fact, and now I’ve got a giant list of things that now I have to do work because that consultant’s gone. “I have to do all the work now. What do I do now?” Am I rooted in that fear, that frustration, that anger? What are you rooted in?

Because those thoughts and those beliefs are how you’re going to react. Whether you’re going to be resilient and bounce back will be based on that core belief that you have, those core values that you put yourself in. And sometimes those values are “getting it my way”. Sometimes those values are having coffee cake every morning, I don’t know, whatever it is — having that delicious treat. Sometimes my value is “I’m just going to sit around and watch Harry Potter all day long.” Now, there’s nothing wrong with any of those but if you make that the core of your being, that’s all there is, then there won’t be much foundation. 

I love the idea of building a house. Anybody here built a house? You and me, Peggy, you and I. I built a house. Well, my family built a house. I built the — the thing that I built, and I can put my name on it, hang my little plaque on, was the pump house because there was a well and there was a little house that goes around the pump. It’s smaller than an outhouse. But we built our own house, most of it. And, you know, what you do is you plan and you work toward it and you have this perfect idea of what this house is going to look like. You have these blueprints. This is exactly what’s going to happen. And then what happens? You build the first floor and Mom looks down and goes “So this is going to be a wall? I want a window right there because it’s overlooking the whole valley.” And then we have little changes here and there. We’ve got to move the — I want a plug over here and not over there, so we make little changes. 

And then what do you have afterwards? You have your blueprint and then you have your as-built blueprint. Every building has one, even this building. It’s like when Kent and I are looking for, trying to figure out where the wires are or Polo and I trying to figure out where all of these speaker wires go, we’re looking at the blueprints and going “Uh, nope. Where’s the as-built blueprint? Nope.” 

So sometimes things change, and we have to be flexible. They don’t come out exactly how we want them to be. But you know what the house is built on? Solid foundation. We don’t build it on the side of a cliff that we know is going to erode away and slide down. We build a house on solid foundation. Even the houses that are built today, even the skyscrapers that are built today are built with flexibility in mind, to wave and to flow as the Earth moves, as the wind blows, to be like the willow tree.

So, where are you planting your roots? In solid foundation, in the spirit of God. Oh, I gave it away. I was going to test you later on. To root yourself in whatever you want to call it. I like to call it your spiritual values because that really brings it home. 

What values do you have that you hold that are of good report? What values do you hold that really lift you up and lift up others around you? Maybe it’s a value like authenticity, of being authentic with myself first and foremost, and then being myself with someone else. Maybe it’s the value of accepting someone else as who they are. Maybe it’s the value of being humble, being humble in the experience of this grand thing called Earth, in the experience of nature as we go walking out. As you go out, just look at the flowers, listen to the fountain, see nature all around you. You see the wonder of God, and can you be humble in that, knowing that you’re part of that? You’re a part of it. 

Empowerment

And at the same, the value of empowerment, of knowing that not only are you empowered, you are a part of it, but you’re also the expression of it. And with that expression, you can express all that you can be. That infinite spiritual power, infinite spiritual power, itty-bitty living space called this body. Yet, here we are as spiritual beings here to express. I don’t know — I’m just like on a — my kid — yeah, they’re my kids’ movies. We’ll leave it at that. All of my quotes come from movies, so if you can figure them out, write them down. They’ll be a prize afterwards, I don’t know.

Can we be flexible and yet resilient? And the way we become resilient is by grounding ourselves in Spirit, by allowing our spiritual values to be at our core so that when the storm comes, we revert back to simplicity. Just be simple. “Okay, what’s the easiest path? How can I move through this with ease and grace?” Use the spiritual power of and the spiritual ability of acceptance. This is just what is right now. It’s passing. It will change, because everything changes in the world.

And live that simple power of — I’ll call it compassion, compassion for yourself. Yeah, sometimes it’s not so fun. As the Daily Word says, sometimes there are unhappy experiences. So have compassion for yourself in that. It’s okay to feel upset, it’s okay to feel sad, it’s okay to be disappointed because that’s just the blowing wind. But don’t make that disappointment your roots. Your roots are Spirit, are love and compassion and joy, and oneness in knowing your strength, knowing your will, your ability to move through it, to withstand it, and be that peaceful presence.

Your Greatest Treasures

This is from Lao Tzu, who wrote in the Tao Te Ching, “Simplicity, patience, and compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in action and thought, you return to the source of your being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate towards yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.”

When the storms come, that flexibility and resilience is met with simplicity. Don’t try to overcomplicate it. You may have had a complicated plan to build this building. Let’s just simplify it. What’s the next simple step? Have patience. It’s okay. It may be difficult. Others may be acting like a Whomping Willow tree. Allow them to whomp; just don’t get too close.

And have compassion. Have compassion for yourself in the situation, have compassion for the Whomping Willow tree. It just doesn’t like people treading on its roots. I’m convinced that’s it. Deep down inside, there’s an acorn of … okay.

Simplicity, patience, and compassion bring forth your spiritual power, bring forth your spiritual values. Become rooted in that and then whatever comes along will come along and will go because after the storm there’s always a bright day. After the storm the willow tree stands beautifully, back in its original shape, ready to receive that which the world has to give to it.

Be like that willow tree. Be resilient and flexible.

Our affirmation is on the screen and I’m going to affirm it. I’m going to say it and then invite you to affirm it with me.

I AM flexible and gracefully adapt to life’s twists and turns.

Grounded in Spirit, I AM resilient in my spiritual power.

Would you affirm that with me? Together:

I AM flexible and gracefully adapt to life’s twists and turns.

Grounded in Spirit, I AM resilient in my spiritual power.

Feel that resiliency within you, feel that energy within you, feel that groundedness, and practice that. Sink those roots deep into that experience. And when the winds of change come, you’ll know to just sink down into the Earth, sink down into those spiritual values. And you’ll be able to be flexible and resilient as that storm passes by.