Dr. Jeanne Robertson, Ph.D., LPC, LMFTDr. Jeanne is the Director of St. Paul's Center for Counseling & Education There is a Native American story of a Cherokee elder who was teaching his grandchildren about life.
He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me. it is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents terrible, negative thoughts and feelings: fear, hate, anger, regret, envy, jealousy, lies, greed, self-pity, resentment, and arrogance. The other wolf stands for thoughts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, benevolence, generosity, truth, gentleness, self-control, empathy, and humility.” And he said to his grandchildren, “This same fight is going on inside you and inside everyone.” They thought about that for a while, then one child asked, “Grandfather, which wolf will win?” And the wise old Cherokee replied quietly, “The one you feed.” Perhaps it’s hard to admit that we all feed that negative wolf, but we do. Sometimes we do it more than at other times. Sometimes what we feed it changes. BUT whenever we feed it, the other wolf goes hungry. Are there ways to starve the negative wolf, (we will never eliminate it) so it is less able to win the continuous fight? Are there ways to feed the positive wolf to give it strength? The more we feed the positive wolf, the more joy we have in our lives. Common ways to feed the negative wolf includes too much time spent watching the news. Most local and national news is bad news. It is not a true representative of what has actually occurred for the 300 and something million people in America today. There were thousands and thousands of positive events that occurred, but they just don’t sell. One terrible storm strikes and we see days of devastation, yet only one or two clips of people helping. What’s really happening? Thousands of people are helping. They come from all around the country for months and months, but are never seen on the news. Can we deliberately search for the positive? Can we moderate the amount of bad news we take in, how much we feed the wolf? For every act of evil or disaster, there are tens of thousands of positive events each and every day. Sometimes I watch 10 segments of On the Road with Steve Hartman on YouTube, or CBS Friday Night to get a positive slice of the reality of much of what’s going on in America. It’s just one way to find the positive. What do you watch on TV or at the movies? Are your selections all violent? Do the bad guys win? What about books? What are we taking in? Are we allowing the external world to feed our negative wolf for us? Social media can be a boost. It can help people stay connected with family and friends near and far. It can also be an emotional disaster. How much is too much? What’s being said? Which wolf is it feeding? It’s important to be aware of what areas of our lives feed which wolf. We need to be intentional about what we feed the wolves inside. I come to St. Paul’s every Sunday to feed my positive wolf. It can always use more strength! Blessings and eat well, Dr. Jeanne Jeanne Robertson, Ph. D., LMFT, LPC Director, Center for Counseling and Education jrobertson@stpauls--lakeview.org 504-330-2549
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The Very Rev. Rob CourtneyFr. Rob is the Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church & School One of my favorite bands is Radiohead. I've been listening to a serialized music podcast recently called Dissect, and the whole season they're currently in is about one Radiohead album, In Rainbows. Each 45 minute episode explores a single song on the album in depth. Maybe that sounds tedious to you, but I am loving the deep dive. On a recent episode, the host said this about the band: "Radiohead remain forever students, forever subservient to the art, to the process of creation. It's why after decades they're still able to evolve, to maintain relevance beyond a normal band's typical life cycle." Forever students. That is something that I hope for myself, as well as others. That I will be a forever student. To recognize that there is no "arrival point" in one's vocation, or in life. There is never a point at which I can believe I will know it all or have all of the answers. There's always more to learn, always more ways to grow. One thing I hope I never am is "stuck in my ways." One thing I hope I never am is stuck in my ways. I'm reminded of a gentleman from our church who died several years ago now. He was a "forever student" of life, he was always doing and thinking about something new. Even in his late 80s this man could zip around an iPhone better than a lot of teenagers I know! He seemed, to me, to be so full of life because he was still open to learning new things and having new experiences. He was a "forever student." When it comes to the Christian life, I believe this concept of being a "forever student" is crucial. One reason is because every follower of Jesus is a disciple. That means you and me! It is not just Peter, James, John, or Mary Magdalene who are disciples. It's not just the characters from the New Testament. All followers of Jesus are disciples. And the word disciple simply means student. There are no graduates in the Christian life. No, being a priest, bishop, deacon, or any kind of ordained pastor for that matter, does not make one a graduate. None of us clergy have achieved spiritual perfection, not even the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Pope himself. Even the people who in our eyes are the most faithful are still disciples. We are all, always and forever, students of Jesus. As forever students of Jesus, then, none of us can ever remain truly faithful if we're stuck in our ways. The word disciple simply means student. We are all, always and forever, students of Jesus. If we ever believe we arrived we can be assured that we have not. There is always more to learn about ourselves, about God, about the Bible, about life. And that's okay! That's the way it's supposed to be! God want us to continue to grow more and more into the full stature of Christ. I believe God wants us all to be a little like Radiohead, to "remain forever students, forever subservient to the art, to the process of creation." God's creation is not static. It's ongoing, and as Christians attempting to be faithful we do well to continue being students of what God is up to in this world. Where do you believe you need to get "unstuck" and to grow in your life of discipleship? What makes you curious? Where do you believe you need to get "unstuck" and to grow in your life of discipleship? We, as the St. Paul's Community, are always trying to learn and grow in relationships with each other, in service to the Church and to the world, and in our life in Christ. We are always trying to become more faithful disciples, and we're always offering new opportunities to grow and learn together as "forever students."
Come learn and grow alongside us! All levels welcome. |
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