“Tire”ing Experience

The third basic Unity principle tells us that we create our world through the thoughts we hold in our minds. Everything begins in thought, even faith! In fact Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity, defined faith as the perceiving power of the mind linked with the ability to shape substance. How do the thoughts that you hold in your mind affect the way you create out of the substance that is life?

In early January, when I was home with the flu, Gary asked me to drop a package off at UPS. As soon as I began driving, I noticed I had a flat tire. I pulled back into the garage and thought about Gary. You see, he also had the flu. Unlike me, however, he was not home in bed but out working in spite of feeling ill. There was no way I could ask him to change this tire after he had been out working all day with the flu. The problem, though, was that Gary always takes care of these things for me. Never once in my 50 years have I ever changed a tire! I had seen Gary do it often enough though, and so motivated by the idea that I did not want to ask him to do it when he came home from work, I decided to take care of the matter.

I pulled out the owner’s manual from my glove box, brought up Gary’s car jack from the barn, and following the instructions, proceeded to change the tire. He taught me well. I took the tire to be fixed, and discovered it had to be replaced. They had just one tire in stock. Since we had just been talking about needing new tires, I told them I would let them know if I wanted to order more. When I called Gary, I felt my buttons being pushed as he tried to brush the whole thing off to be dealt with later. “Just fix the one Joanne. Leave the rest.”

Then, he said the one thing that I have been shaking my head about ever since. “Don’t we have towing, Joanne? Why didn’t you just call someone to take care of it?” To be honest, it never occurred to me. To be honest, I never even stopped in the moment to pray and align myself with the power and wisdom that is God. To be honest, I went immediately into problem solving mode and in the process was not open to the abundance of possibility that is always present.

As I have contemplated this whole instance, I came to recognize another thought that was underneath of the thought that I wanted to help Gary. This thought was, “He’s going to be so grateful that I took care of this for him.” In addition, I became aware that the difficulty I experienced changing the tire, complete with a black and blue nail that was smashed in the process, was more fuel for the martyr complex. The more I suffer, the more grateful he will be.

As I have thought about this thought under the thought, I realized that this is the thought I was holding in faith that kept me from fully experiencing my good. And if this thought was affecting this experience, how many more situations do I experience in my life from that place of needing to suffer to receive love, appreciation, joy or acceptance? How has my faith in this idea out pictured in the experience that is my life?

I am choosing again. I invite you to consider doing the same. If you are experiencing struggle, pain, disappointment, worry, fear, loneliness, etc. in your life, what thought might you be holding that is supporting that experience? There is an abundance of GOoD waiting for you and I as we remember to place our faith in the inspiration, wisdom and love that is God.

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Rev. Joanne Rowden is an ordained Unity Minister serving Unity in Edinboro. Ordained in 2010, she has been the Spiritual Leader of Unity in Edinboro since 2001. Rev. Joanne is also the Treasurer for Unity Worldwide Ministries Eastern Region. She is active locally in supporting Catholic Charities in their refugee assistance work by providing Financial Literacy Training to the refugees arriving in Erie. Rev. Joanne has also been involved in establishing an Interfaith Council in Erie. You can reach Rev. Joanne by phone at 814-450-6090 or by email at joanne@unityinedinboro.