What I am learning from Rusty and Heaven Admin

I wrote earlier about how remarkable Rusty, the police officer, was. He was like out of a storybook.

I realized that from Rusty's point of view, he wasn't doing anything special. He was being Rusty, that's all.

Now, I have always wanted to be treated specially. I have wanted to be singled out as being special and being especially favored. I can't deny it. And I must say that life has probably given me more consideration than I deserve.

Heaven Admin is probably the most universally giving person I have ever met. There is no end to his giving and no end to his joy in giving. I realize that this is how he is, and this is who he is. Just to be in his presence is to be favored. He gives to everyone.

Yet there is this aspect of me that, like the vain queen in the story of Snow White, wants to be, not the fairest of all, but the most favored of all.  Of course, I do know better. I do know there is no such thing. At the same time as I have that longing to be the most favored of all, unlike the vain queen, I am happy to say that I do take joy in joy given to others. I would be happy that Snow White is the fairest of all.

The other day Heaven Admin wrote a comment in response to the blog entry I wrote about a friend here in town who has physical challenges and pain.

Here is his response:

Ok, you take care of your friend now, and then I’ll take over when I’m in Fairfield. And if there is anything else to fix around your friend’s house, it would be my pleasure. Ask her to make a list.

Heaven Admin means it. It is so clear now that Heaven Admin loves to give and give service, and that all are special to him.  It will be his pleasure to help out my friend in every way he can, just as it has been his pleasure to help out with Heavenletters in every way he can. It is Heaven Admin who is special.

Clearly, when someone is wonderful and wonderful to us, we are not responsible for their wonderfulness, and so their wonderfulness is not to be taken personally.

By the same token, it is no different with those who may not be so loving. It is the same with those who are even offensive. It seems seem harder for me to not take personally those from whom I take offense.  They, too, are about themselves and not about me at all. Who they are is their doing, not mine, just as it is with Rusty and Heaven Admin.

It's really sinking into me what it means to not take things personally. I am really beginning to get it.

Think of it: to never feel flattered and to never feel hurt. I long for that more than I long for special consideration. Maybe one day I will even get to that place where I don't take anything personally. May it happen soon.