Fifteenth Meditation
(Fourteenth, Fifteenth Letters)

"Set your heart right and be steadfast, and do not be hasty in time of calamity. Cleave to him and do not depart, that you may be honored at the end of your life. Accept whatever is brought upon you, and in changes that humble you be patient. For gold is tested in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. Trust in him, and he will help you; make your ways straight, and hope in him. You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and turn not aside, lest you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not fail; you who fear the Lord, hope for good things, for everlasting joy and mercy." (1)


Equanimity

Pure bliss, like too much sun, can burn
Her heart, leaving it scorched and dry;
Distress, like biting wind, can churn
Her heart, leaving it raw and wry.

The humble heart, centered with peace,
Shields itself from the sun and wind.
Secured by hope that storms will cease,
It holds until extremes rescind.

The presence of God is constant,
In the chaotic churn of life:
To enemies, it's resistant;
With love, it harbors peace, not strife.

In His presence, her heart is stilled;
Unmoved by neither praise nor scorn.
With strength of His love, she is filled,
To serve Him with joy, not forlorn.

Be there bliss or calamity,
She strives for equanimity.

May the presence of God steady our hearts with the strength of His love and the shelter of His peace.