I sit this morning, looking out the window into my back yard. It is very green right now, the breeze is blowing, and a light rain is falling. I give thanks for all of it, and for my warm and comfortable home, where I can find Sanctuary. I feel the Presence of Spiritual Family as I call each one into my field of awareness. Thank you for joining me!

I read each morning from a devotional magazine called 60 Days of Prayer. It is a mainstream, but not fundamentalist, Christian publication. I enjoy taking the scriptural readings and insightful comments and translating  them into Meta-Speak. This morning’s reading inspired me to journal, and to move into realms beyond its message. I would love to share my thoughts with you here.

The heading for today was Progress, Not Perfection. The scriptural quote was from Ecclesiastes 7:20, and reads, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” It doesn’t take much to interpret this one…Surely there is not a person on earth who is always in perfect alignment with, and acting from, his Spiritual Nature, and never makes mistakes or has erroneous thoughts. And I would have to agree that if we are still here on planet Earth, (unless we have come as a Bodhisattva) we are likely to stumble from time to time…maybe even daily. This is normal and natural. We are Spiritual Beings living out a human experience. That means we have physical, mental, and emotional bodies to deal with. These are our tools, our avenues of awareness, and our opportunities for growth and evolution. So, it’s okay if we fall. As long as we get up again.

It is easier sometimes to see our imperfections than our perfection. When I see what I perceive as a fault or a shortcoming, it calls me to act, to do something different, to fix it.  It draws my attention because it feels somehow incomplete. The Higher Self within me knows that I am capable of much more and will not let my attention rest until I have come into greater alignment. This may happen right away, or it may slowly work on me in small ways until I make the adjustment.

On the other hand, when my human words, thoughts, and actions are in alignment with my Higher Self, there is a sense that all is right in my world. Let’s call this perfection, or alignment. This state of rightness simply is. It is easy to not even notice that all is well, because this is my natural state. If I am practicing being more mindful, I may even notice this state of peace for a moment, then my brain loses interest. It takes Spiritual Practice to notice the perfection of what is. And it is a valuable Spiritual Practice to detect our progress in what is.

This morning’s reading advises that  “When you reflect on your goals and where you are in your life, focus on signs of progress. Every step nearer to your goal is a success – something you should celebrate and feel good about.” I like to use the metaphor of climbing Half Dome in Yosemite. This is a particularly arduous hike, with many steep hills, endless switch-backs, and many miles of trail. As I determine to reach the top, it is extremely helpful for me to stop now and then, to stand still, and to turn 180 degrees so that I can see where I have been. I can take time to appreciate my progress, and that allows me to catch my breath; it elevates my spirit and encourages me to move ahead. A consciously-lived, spirit-focused life is like a good, long, uphill hike. As well as the uphill portions, there are downhill stretches, and nice level spots where we can just cruise. There are opportunities to really use our muscles, our effort and focus, and there are times to just breathe. Life seems to work best when we accept all of it as natural, and when we make a point of celebrating our progress.

I remain mindful of God’s Loving Presence and the Infallible Principle through which It expresses in, through and AS my life. I remember that there is a constant flow of Infinite Givingness and Potential as Spirit moves into form. And what I have learned is that whatever I attend to, grows in my experience. Somewhere along the way, I got the message that it is more responsible to focus on my missteps and my sorrows than on my successes and my joy. This seems to be floating around in the Race Consciousness. But what I know to be true is that I am better able to respond when I am concentrating on what is going well in my life. I am more balanced, more centered, and can make more rational decisions as to what my next step should be. I know that as I give my attention to what is flowing smoothly and to what makes me happy, I express more joy and a greater sense of peace in my life. I am actually more responsible in and for my life…I can flow with God’s Infinite Grace, feel Its Perfection moving through my experience, and give thanks for my progress, knowing that all is unfolding in Divine Order and Timing. And so it is!

A perfect ending for this sharing is this beautiful passage from Rev. Wayne Muller’s book Learning to Pray: “Look, says Jesus. Keep your eyes on heaven. You will be given trial and tribulation, but you will also be given healing and Grace. Watch the Grace. The Grace will not make the sorrow disappear; but neither will the sorrow eradicate the Grace. Seek first the Kingdom; listen for where heaven lives, come into the household of God. The Kingdom has come. Let it become the altar of your heart’s attention, and it shall be the star that will guide your way.”

May we all be well…stay in touch…know our unity…and thrive!

And may we know the Absolute Beauty and Wonder of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day…