In my younger days, I served as foreman for the Ananda Construction Company, building houses in California. I loved that job because I enjoyed the physical work and the camaraderie that came from being part of a cheerful, hard-working team of fellow devotees. Naturally, some were more skilled than others at particular tasks, but it was the ethos of our crew--to each be willing to do whatever was necessary to get the job done, whatever the task, and with no regard for status.
Sometimes a new worker didn’t share our joyful “all for one, one for all” approach or shirked the more challenging assignments. Such fellows didn’t last long and as foreman of the crew, it was my responsibility to deal with them. I would test new workers by purposely assigning him a particularly disagreeable task, but after first letting him work alone for a short time, I’d jump in to help and we’d complete the job together. If he showed good spirit and was willing to do any job cheerfully, we accepted him as part of our crew. If not, he didn’t last long.
I was reminded recently of those long-ago days when a distasteful assignment landed on my plate. “Oh no, not again!” I thought, “Why me? How can I get out of doing this? Maybe I can find someone else to do it.” As the days passed, I found myself becoming grumpier and grumpier in direct proportion to my unwillingness to accept what life was asking of me. On top of that, the mere thought of the project completely drained my energy.
Finally, I remembered building those houses. I wondered, “Might God be testing me like I tested those new workers? Maybe this is my karma coming back to me. Am I willing to cheerfully do any job assigned as I had expected of others? Maybe God is with me right now, waiting for the right moment to help?”
Nothing in life is accidental; that which comes to us unbidden is ours to resolve. The question is, “How are we going to receive our assignments, reluctantly or with joyful enthusiasm?” God’s grace is available to all who are willing to receive it with a cheerful and enthusiastic attitude. If we respond positively, we find energy flowing through us. That’s the best way to invite God’s help to overcome all circumstances whereas reluctance is the surest way to stop the divine flow. If we can honestly say “Yes,” with a positive spirit and be willing to do our best, circumstances have a mysterious way of arranging themselves to our benefit. If we are reluctant and avoid what the Divine Foreman asks of us, we close the door to Grace and remain unhappy, with little energy and entangled in our karmic challenges.
