UNO

Hi There !

So, do you have a favorite board or card game - say

Monopoly, Parcheesi, Chinese Checkers, Scrabble,

Bridge, even Poker?

For me it's Uno.

In just about all games you win

by racking up the most

"properties," marbles,

chips, points, cards.

In Uno you win by loosing,

getting rid of all your cards

as fast as you can.



Our spiritual lives are one grand,

exciting game of Uno.

The object is to give away

every bit and all

of who we are

and what we have,

right down to our core selves.

Now in the market economy

out here on the street

of everyday living

that would mean being a looser,

going bankrupt.

Paradoxically though,

in a much higher math and economy,

we are invited

to be winners,

to be enriched by investing

all our energies, time, talent,

giftedness, possessions and privileges -

our total selves -

 in a life of

extravagant giving.

When we are "spent,"

when we have no cards left, it's

              Uno.

We are

          ONE
                  with
                          All.

"No Thing" seperates us from

pure  Oneness with All That Is.



We are like hot air balloons,

meant for the sky

and getting there

by letting go of what

keeps us were we are.

The lighter the higher.



In a spiritual life of

           Uno

we have "cards"

 to give away for others:

   - a sense of humor

   - companionship

   - money and possessions

   - friendship

   - patience

   - parenting

   - leadership

   - team work

   - forgiveness

   - encouragement

   - care for the marginalized

   - patience

   - environmental respect and care

   - our self to our lover

   - talents like crafting, music,

     story telling, wisdom sharing,

     painting, poetry

   - mentoring

   - skills like business acumen,

     farming, technology,

     investigative reporting, teaching,

     archeological digs, forestry

   - nurture of plants, children, the arts,

     truth and justice

   - creativity - arranging flowers,

      managing finances,

      organizing a  kids' soccer league.



When all of who we are and have

is gone, is spent, we just

             "are"

and "are" free enough

to expand in

          All That Is,

to blend universally

( just for starters ).

While being our our unique selves,

we free flow into an

ever expanding  oneness

with and in

                 All

                         God

                             Life and Love

in all creation,

in all beings and beyond without end

                 UNO

                        IN

                          OMNIA.


We realize we are one with babies,

the stars, enemies, strangers,

animals, ocean waves, a glass of wine,

beautiful art, mountain heights,

as well as the hurt, the left out,

the sick and pained,

with the abused environment,

with our lover,

with the Limitless Good we call God.



It helps ever so much to see all this

                    Oneness

as it evolved so freely and freeingly,

really and personally, 

as we take a long, loving look at

 Jesus, Mahatma Gandhi,

 Buddha, Mother Teresa, Francis of Assisi,

Oscar Romero, Dorothy Day.

By not holding on to,

not clinging to,

any one thing

they became

               ONE

                     with

                           All.

May it be so for us!!

May we get freed

           and

dance with the universe!


It's  "ONE"

               ( der)

                        FULL,

          UNO

                IN

                    OMNIA.


********************************




We are blessed with a bevy of new members

to our weekly sharing here.

Joining in this week are new friends

from the Philippines and Honduras.

 Welcome and thank you for welcoming us!


Here's a prayer that we and all

Spring Free.

Holding one and all in

God's Dear Love,

   John Frank


************************************************************************************

"frankly speaking" spirituality for the street

is posted toward the end of each week.

It is available online at

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

and can be bookmarked

for easy access,

and also  available automatically each week

by email (please see the top right of this posting).

**********************************************************************************