I Have All I Need

I won’t bore you with the details.

But I don’t like it.

I don’t like it.

At all.

I don’t want it to happen.

And, guess what?

It is happening.

Again and again, reality wins.

Some days feel too much, 

Too difficult, 

Too disorientating.

And nevertheless

I find my way.

I truly know that

I have all I need

To find my way through.

Some days, 

I just don’t want 

To know

That I am okay.

Some days,

I would rather 

Feel sorry for myself.

I think of the 23 Psalm.

This prayer carried me forward when my mom passed.

Check out these two lines:

The Lord is my shepherd,

I have all I need.

What a trip!

Nobody told us—

Nothing hard is going to happen.

Nobody told us—

Our hearts aren’t going to break.

Nobody told us—

Having faith means

Flowers and unicorns 

Dancing 

Around our heads.

Nope.

What did they say?

They said—

Whatever happens,

We are equipped.

We are able.

We have 

All we need

To find our way

Through,

Just for this one day.

Just for today.

Hum.

I’ve puzzled and loved and wondered and struggled 

With the 23 Psalm.

What the heck?

What does this all mean?

Let’s get some help for our heads and our hearts with this.

First, our heads.  Here is Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi, a founder of the Jewish Renewal movement and an innovator in ecumenical dialogue.  

I remember Reb Zalman being at Kripalu in the days of the ashram, teaching with Amrit Desai, Gurudev.  Oh, how I wish I could hear that satsanga, that teaching session, again!

And here he is, Reb Zalman, a beyond-wise beacon of light and grace, teaching us about this profound prayer, the 23 Psalm, through a Jewish perspective:

And for our hearts, here is the magnificent Bobby McFerrin, who has retooled these lyrics and loved this psalm into relevance.  Here he is in 2013, at the Solidarity of Arts Festival, in Poland:

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Dear Friends, may we walk in the ways of goodness and grace, all the days of our lives, no matter what we are given.

All blessings,
Aruni