Grace in the Universe

 Marcus Alden Meredith

August 16, 2024

Grace in the Universe

On becoming aware of the flow of things

“The only constant in the Universe is change,” the Buddha is often quoted as having said. Regardless of the providence of this phrase and the Buddha, the wisdom that arises from it is still on the mark. At this moment, I am on a café sidewalk in a beautiful city enjoying a mug of Earl Grey tea and more freedom than I have had in any other time in my life. The workings of the Universe can be, and often are, a seeming mystery but not full of mysteries that cannot be known and solved. One of these mysteries is how the Universe seems to flow in both a physical and a human sense. And, if you are observant and aware enough, there is a flow of time and tide, motion and action, animate and inanimate but one that you can come to understand if you just take the time to learn, and look, and listen… a “Grace” if you will. Not quite grace as defined in a religious sense where some supernatural being tips the scales of cause and effect in or out of your favor… that’s a ridiculous notion. Not some kind of mumbo-jumbo like luck (Sherlock Holmes in the series Elementary describes my view of luck best: “ Luck is an abhorrent concept. The idea that there is some supernatural force tipping events in or out of my favor is ridiculous. Idiots rely on luck.”). No, there is something more to the Grace of the Universe and it is available to all of us… if we would just be more aware. 

Grace, as I have come to see it, comes to us in an almost subliminal way. The little voice inside out heads, the “feeling” of going on or stopping and pausing, that sensation of lucidly and clearly knowing the way things are and where we are going is the way is the way the Grace of the Universe manifests itself in our lives… if we cultivate the awareness necessary to learn from it and, in a significant way, be guided by it. A StarWars geek would say, “ You’ve tapped into The Force!” Well, that’s a  cool image but the Grace I’m writing about is real, substantial, and knowable, not some sci-fi/fantasy trope.

Grace can become evident in the best of times, during the worst of times  and travails, or when we are tired and feeling downtrodden but refuse to give in to our fatigue and self-pity or sorrow. Personal case in point. I recently had to move from a house I’d lived in for over 3 decades. It was a bit of a shock and living alone meant I had to do all the work of boxing, hiring movers, finding a new place, etc. by my self.  Now, I’m older, a lot older, than the last time I moved. My back isn’t as strong and I suffer from sciatica. But, at my low point, when the feeling of being VERY alone hit me hard, Grace stepped in and I flowed with it. Grace seemed to constantly peek over it’s shoulder and say, “I’ll help you get this, just watch.” First,  my old landlord came through and granted me 90 days to find a new place and get moved. Cool! I hadn’t expected that but I can only suppose that being an ideal tenant has it’s benefits, so not looking gift horses in mouths, yada, yada, yada…. I was on it! Once that was set, the second gift of Grace came through as I immediately began my search for a new place to live. In 4 days, I’d found a nice, new place, signed a 5 year lease (unheard of these days), found reputable movers, and was boxing up 3 decades of acquisitions to my belongings. 200 U-Haul boxes and 40 days later, I was in the new house… Then Grace came and peeked in again. The house was a newer, nicer, more up-to-date house with better internet, central HVAC, pantry, more spacious kitchen… JACKPOT! The Universe was flowing and I was flowing with it with Grace as my navigator on this trip. My awareness of Grace was paying off. Now, 2 months after my notice to move, I’m back at my favorite coffee house having finished the first leg of my usual bike ride again and the new place is close to 90% set up. Let’s take this moment to reflect on the last few weeks. Consider, I could have wallowed in my misery about how unfair it all seemed at having to move so suddenly and after living in the same place for so long, but I didn’t. You do what has to be done as a Stoic, feel where the chain of events are going and make your best moves accordingly… and the Grace of the Universe will manifest before your eyes, if you have developed the awareness of it. I have said after recent days, “You know, the Universe abhors stagnation because it is constantly evolving and changing always. I guess this was the Universe’s way of saying, ‘ Time to change to a better place now that you can! So, get out and move up!’ and, so, I had to move. This is not to imply that the Universe is conscious the way we humans are. That would be too anthropomorphic in style. But, we humans are best to be aware that what we know of the Universe is minuscule in regards to our flash in the pan lifespans. So, the mysteries of the Universe will prevail, much to the delight of writers and scientists alike.

The Grace of the Universe also showed up in other ways, but the move brought them more into focus. Consider the following observations: my father passed away about a year and a half ago. The estate he left me and my sister, though not huge by today’s standards, was substantial and it helped both of us out immensely but also differently. For me, it allowed me to invest so that between my pension and the investment returns, I earned a substantial income for the first time in my life. If dad had not passed when he did, I might not have been able to afford the move to a newer, nicer place. Once again, the Grace of the Universe stepped in and seemed to have paved the way so that my choices almost appeared prescient of predestined. Destiny? Horse shit… no such thing. Luck? Only if you remember the definition of luck being where preparation meets opportunity. Fortunate circumstances? Perhaps that is a better point of view. But, once again, I had saved for emergencies… so, perhaps my new place wouldn’t have been so nice, but the move still would have happened. I submit that Grace just facilitated the timing and made it better… but I still had to be aware. The Stoics talk about Premeditatio Malorum (to consider what bad things could happen and plan accordingly) as an exercise we all should undertake to be prepared as best as we can for what may come. If one is to enjoy the Grace of the Universe, I submit that it really only comes to us if we have laid the groundwork for it to come to our aide - preparation is the key. Yes, the timing may seem fortuitous, but if you hadn’t had the foresight to be prepared for it, or had the resources in reserve to let you succeed, the Grace of the Universe may pass you by. The Universe helps,  but only if ready to know it’s coming.