The Last Straw Part 2
June 23, 2025
The Last Straw Part 2
The straw that broke the camel’s back was “the last straw.” How many times have we experienced a last straw?
Maybe we had a long list of “to-dos,” and someone we wanted to please added another task that sent us over the top. Perhaps someone made lots of remarks that got under our skin, but this time, it was one remark too many, and we boiled over. It could be that someone always triggers anxiety in us, but lately, they have been doing it a lot, and today was the last straw.
Living the spiritual life doesn’t mean that we don’t have “last straws.” We are human beings with only so much bandwidth, and to expect infinite patience is unfair to ourselves. We all know that setting limits is a fundamental skill in moving through the world, but regardless of who we are or how ‘spiritual’ we may be, we all get exasperated with ourselves and with others.
The question for those who seek consciousness is, “How do we consciously deal with the inevitable last straw?” When we reach the point of exasperation, it is time to access Point Nine of the Enneagram of Soul. This point is called “Sacred Loving Peace” because this aspect of God within us all reminds us that all is well, even when things appear to the contrary.
Some people who have developed Sacred Loving Peace may seem nonchalant, passive, naively optimistic, or lackadaisical. They remain calm, which distresses those who are losing their heads. But those who have embodied Point Nine of Soul are in touch with the reality that after every winter is a spring, and after every mishap, there can be a recovery. The motif that goodness and divine order will ultimately prevail is the fabric of life, and they know that to expect otherwise is unrealistic.
So, contrary to some people’s judgment, those who have developed Scared Loving Peace are not deniers of reality but realists. They do not react to the last straw but respond to it. I am reminded of mystic Julian of Norwich’s vital contribution to spiritual formation: her response is, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."
Shifting away from reactivity to conscious responding is a lifetime process. If we grow spiritually, we continuously tackle new ideas and experience the layering of the many painful and happy experiences that teach us. This necessitates stretching ourselves to respond from our higher selves, for the betterment of others and our growth. Even if we are committed to the spiritual path, we can have a knee-jerk reaction to the last straw. But after the initial reaction, if we choose to respond consciously, we can shift to soul, and say to ourselves, “This calls for a conscious response.”
Conscious responses always involve activating one of the Virtues or Holy ideas. Recently, when in a knee-jerk reaction, thanks to the spiritual consciousness we strive for at ICB, at that moment genuine humility arose and then I came to a conscious response. Having received many conscious responses in my life, I believe these are the sacred interactions from which peace is made. I am reminded that Jesus said “Ye are the light of the world.”
Spiritual practice: Practice the responding after building in the “all is well” mentality.
Self-inquiry: Why does the knee-jerk reaction sometimes feel so good?
Dear God, I pray to know in my heart the wellness of all things. Amen
