Heartfelt Blessings for June 12th: The Kettle
You may listen to today's blessing here: Played: 843 | Download | Duration: 00:02:38 The Kettle  Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?
The late writer and speaker Emmett Fox once told the story of a bear breaking into a hunter's camp enticed by the sight of a lid dancing on top of a kettle of boiling water left over an open fire. Curiosity overriding his fear of the flames, the bear grabbed the cast iron pot and pulled it to his chest. The heat from the pot was intense and as the bear held it to him it burned through his dense fur, causing searing pain. Confused, frightened and totally misinterpreting the experience, the bear hugged the pot even closer. Eventually the scalding heat penetrated the flesh, fatally burning vital organs. After only a few minutes more, the bear at last released the pot and fell dead beside it. A victim of his own inability to let go. In the midst of our own personal pain, we often forget the best remedy is to simply ask ourselves "Why do I insist on holding on to this?" And when no sufficient answer comes forth, then all we need do is let it go.
May you always remember to turn loose of every pain. And may you always be aware that you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me. Until tomorrow,May your day be filled  A new Heartfelt Blessing is sent out daily. If you would like to subscribe please fill in the form below. Thank you. |
Hi Kate
I think it is called revenge. I have let go of past abuse. Had to. But today when someone hurts me, I often want to get back at them......revenge.....deadly sin. It plays over and over in my head but I know I won't say or do anything. What a waste of time. I wish I could stop the reaction that brings the wish for revenge. Telling on myself? Probably not. I'll bet many of us are like that.
Do you ever feel that Kate?
Jeannette
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Dear Jeannette,
Of course I feel that way. I think all of us do. Wanting to react by giving pain for pain is part of the human condition, but once we begin to realize that it only escalates the problem and keeps pain at the forefront, then we start looking for a different way. For me. and many, many others, the best way is to simply let go of my need to react and create a different situation instead through the process of blessing. As I send forth love and light and blessing to the person and/or the situation, it is transmuted, not because of physical changes I have made in the other, but because of the mental changes I have made in myself.
Blessing is a pathway to freedom from revenge because blessings leads us straight to love.
Hope this helps,
Love, light and blessings,
Kate
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God is alive and truly does exist. This particular story could not have come at a better time. I'm holding on to pain and not being able to let go. Its helping me see the bigger picture.
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Glad it helped.
Love, light and blessings,
Kate
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Kate,
All your meditations lately on fear have been so helpful to me. I am struggling with panic attacks while driving, and I cannot drive unless my husband is in the car with me. I am working on this constantly with various methods, and yours are helping greatly. 'The Kettle' really resonated with me. You are wonderful and loved by so many.
Rita
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I am so glad it is helping.
Love, light and blessings, Rita.
Always,
Kate
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Dearest Kate ! Dear blessing friends !
Here’s what I’d like to add regarding the parable « The Kettle ».
My first reaction was intense pity for the poor bear. How awful, how cruel, I thought. And I « ran away » from the text and the image of the unfortunate, dying animal, stupidly pressing the boiling kettle against his chest until it killed him. But today I reread that story and concentrated on its symbolic meaning.
To « let go » of the past negative experience and stop refuelling the soul-destroying mechanism is, of course, a salvation. To « let go » is not easy at all - we all know. It demands time, our consciously engaged will to forgive, and our capacity to transform the bad experience into something new, which we can even use creatively. I managed to do this many times. And the process took years ! Reaching forgiveness is not only a relief, but also a newfound source of joy, peace and love. So, as Kate advises prayingly, may we all be willing to forgive!
But there are situations in which we have no time at all to « digest » the bad experience, think, pray and work on attaining the grace of forgiving. When our life is endangered through a violent verbal or physical attack, it is vital not to behave like the poor bear in the story, and be able to «let go of the kettle» in that very second ! Otherwise, we may never get the opportunity to, « later » decide to let go of the painful memory. To let go of the « boiling kettle » in such dangerous and frightful moments means not to respond instinctively and aggressively. Not opposing the aggressor did save my life at least once ! Maintaining peace in spite of all, seeing the situation as though you weren’t at all in it, but above it, can allow you to see in your own aggressor only a miserable human creature who is subdued by his animal, aggressive instincts. Your seeing him in such a way, not with hatred and fear, but with genuine pity, certainly acts upon him and diminishes his violence. I was only 20 when I experienced this, and my attitude was not any kind of « conscious choice » - I know it was a true blessing from God. My eyes and my heart were blessed so that they can perceive in my aggressor, not an evil « monster », but just another « unfortunate bear ».
And, here I am today to tell you this and to add a little prayer : may you, in most critical moments, be graced with the feeling of pity for another, before you feel pity for yourself ; to fear for another's soul, before you fear for your life.
Peace and love and heartfelt blessings to our beloved Kate and to you all.
Val
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And peace to you, as well.
Love, light and blessings,
Kate
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