We begin with a wonderful, true story. It is about the mystery a stranger can represent within our living and how important it is to welcome everyone into our lives, because we never know what it may really be all about.

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. “I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.”

“No, I can’t accept payment for what I did,” the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer.

At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel. “Is that your son?” the nobleman asked.

“Yes,” the farmer replied proudly.

“I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.”

And that he did. Farmer Fleming’s son attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman’s son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son’s name? Sir Winston Churchill.

People are sent to us who appear as either “significant” or “insignificant.” They come into our lives to help us with our synergy of perspective. The interaction we have with them is very important. If we judge them or think that we are beyond them or assume they are inappropriate to our lives, we miss…and the worst thing we can do is miss.

No matter who we may meet, whether in a store or at work or during a quiet stroll, we must pay attention to them. We must listen to WHO they are, not what they seem to say, and welcome them with open arms without clinging to them…simply allow them to be in the place where they appear, watch with all of our Hearts and listen to what is being offered to us. It has to do with many aspects of the beauty that lives within us. When we can allow for this beauty and be with it without trying to “market” or “exploit” it some place in our minds or lives, we find that each person that comes into and goes out of our lives is a door to Love.

When we are with people who are perplexing to our minds and ideals of our own self-importance, we are given the opportunity to question our personal conclusions about people and ourselves and learn how to BE with what is occurring, while not being involved in what APPEARS to be “happening.”

When we become involved with what is “happening,” we are being literal-minded and using our logic to formulate judgments about what we “think” is “happening” and coming to conclusions about its relevance to our lives. Everything that is occurring is trying to liberate us to Love. When we are literal-minded, we close the door to Love and create for ourselves a very imposing point of view that isolates us from the true meaning of friendship and the compassion that can be found within it.

When we are flexible and authentic with everyone that comes before us, we allow for Love within all relationships and allow them to be what they are in our lives: messengers by our own invitation. Some will be appealing to us and others will not. We must BE with them all…exactly as they are.

When we listen we allow for a silent voice to come to us, and we find that life is indeed merciful and everything is working together for a cause and a Life that is beyond our mind’s conception.

By not assuming we know anything about anyone or any occurrence that may be before us, we remain open to Life by not judging what we “think” is supposed to be “happening.” If we dwell in the mercy of the moment we find that everything is perfect just as it is. When we live unassuming, we allow Life to be what it is, as it is…and we accept our “place” in this world without wanting more than what is actually occurring. In doing so, we come to knowing what the mind cannot think.

Life is a process that our human minds cannot emulate, an energy that we cannot feel when we are caught up in the emotions of the body that reduce our energies to seeking only desire and control over our lives. Living harmlessly, without the need for emotional gratification, we come to know the intrinsic goodness that lives within us. And when we hear it, we can dance with it and allow it to bring to us everything that is necessary for living a life that is profound in its meaning.

Life is all about energy – how we use energy is how we experience our lives. Life is energies coming together, creating synergy after synergy, then spinning us off into more energy. There is a great deal of Love in all of this. Live for the power of creating “gentle mercies” in this world and in this life. Do all you can to make Love possible in any given moment.

Much will happen…