The whole secret of spiritual transformation is turning selfish desire into selfless desire, transforming personal passions into the overwhelming desire to attain life’s highest goal. This is not repression; it is transformation. Eknath Easwaran
Life calls us to blend our gifts and talents with service and humility to the world. Unfortunately, this very thought brings images of charities, monks, and philanthropies fighting poverty, and healing the sick. Where do I exactly fit in with this scenario? We are not all social workers, missionaries, or therapists. How will mathematicians or scientists serve the greater scale? As usual, everything falls into place when we allow our self to spiritually transform.
It seems that our culture prompts us to visualize helping large masses in foreign countries which indeed is a worthy cause, but how about our own country, our own community, and our own homes. Our thinking gets even more convoluted by trying to imagine ways of how to afford taking on more than what is already before us. Much of this thinking only clutters our mind, distracts us from purpose, and leads us towards decline.
In my opinion, the answer to spiritual transformation is allowing our hearts and minds to be open to what Spirit brings before us. Spirit has been planting seeds within us for years and our responsibility is to start growing the garden in our own fertile hearts. If our perception can be unrestricted, we very well may come across the path that is waiting. It may be a road less traveled, but if it is the road Divine Spirit places before us, it is the one to follow.
Let us go back to the mathematician. It is in our closed mindedness we are challenged to envision a mathematician on a Spiritual Path. Why is that? A person whose strength is in math can be highly beneficial to the church struggling with finances. The mathematician may be able to study the book keeping and suggest new procedures are better ways of handling the distribution of the monies. A mathematician may be able to offer the choir director a reasonable budget for the choir to take an experiential trip to a large city parish.
My point is that we don't have to rearrange our face to serve. We use what we know and what we love for the betterment of all peoples rather than personal glory. If we love the arts, donate what we don't use to local schools or after school programs ... paint, yarn, paper, pens, pencils, etc... If we have music flowing through our blood, volunteer at a retirement or nursing home or a school for the blind. Do what we love to do, except spread the wealth of what we do.
It doesn't require a family trust fund to give to our community. It doesn't take a miracle worker to perform magic for others. Just contemplate what we truly love to do, and then ask God to show a way it can be blended for all instead of for one!
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