The Myth

There is a saying; “The Man, the Myth, the Legend”. I am not sure where it originated, but it has been of spiritual significance in my life.
Starting at my 50th birthday celebration, I was gifted with t-shirts with the saying – “Grandpa, The Man, The Myth, The Legend” printed on them. Lately the word myth has spoken to me.

The “Myth” speaks to me about dying to self. It is the false self that needs a continual dying so that, even in this life, the true self can emerge. It is the Life – Death – Resurrection cycle that is reflected in Sacred Scripture.

As we move closer to Lent, I look for spiritual practices that will aid my journey through it. My false self – that part of me that is ego centered, needs some deep inside work toward wholeness. At the same time, I am aware that my true self is not something that I can work on. The transforming work is for the Holy Spirit. Just as the Resurrection that Jesus experienced was in the Father’s hands. The question that surfaces in me is: How can I be more open to this Father – God who is so mysterious? How can I cooperate without getting in the way?

There are times that I feel swamped by my expectations. Sometimes I discern that the small still voice of God is telling me that He is already handling it and that I need to let it go. If my inner being is already being controlled by my plans and expectation, then I am not leaving room for God.

Dying to the false self is not easy. I get comfortable with living as my false self. The break-away is sometimes more like “tear away”. It is proportional to my resistance. Each point of dying to self is a point of surrender. Each day has its challenge to surrender to the Spirit’s beckoning. So, whatever spiritual practice I choose it needs to be in response to the Spirit’s beckoning to surrender.  I am learning the “Loving Kindness Prayer”. That is within my consideration as well as taking more time to sit in silence, listening to that “Small Still Voice” of the Holy Spirit. My true self continues to reveal itself as the “wounded healer”. The true “wounded healer” in me knows and acknowledges that it is God who is doing the healing.

How about you? Have you experienced dying to your false self?