I hold you all in the Love and Light of Spirit as I sit this morning in prayer and meditation. And I prepare to write about something that has been on my heart and mind for a couple of weeks now…finally making the time on this cool and beautiful Monday morning to put the words to paper.
The mystics of the ages have known and expressed that the Spiritual life is a life of paradox. There have been so many opportunities during the past six months to witness this Truth. I think it has always been challenging, or maybe confusing, to hear that God is All-Good, and then to turn on the news. We wonder how Goodness can allow so much violence, hunger, and divisiveness to occur. It seems to me that when, in our hearts, we are asking questions like this one, we have slipped into the age-old version of God, the one that we may have been raised with, the one that is certainly still embedded in race mind…the one that stands as part of the foundation for our current human paradigm. Although we have come to know God differently (at least intellectually), we may still experience the Divine as somehow separate from us…a force from outside of us allowing, or even causing, things to happen in our lives and our world. The shift we are making is to know God as that which is expressing Itself in, through and as everything and everyone. This is where we may be getting stuck.
It is easy to see the spark of Divinity in a sunrise, in the vast ocean, in the birds and flowers in our backyards…in nature. Spirit seems to shine forth, in all of Its glory, everywhere we look. It is the human element that confuses things. First, most of us have not been raised to know that we, too, are Divine…that we are expressions of God with all of Its Qualities inherent within us, as our Divine Birthright. How many times have you heard someone say, “I’m only human?” It’s not true. We are both human AND Divine. All of us, no matter the appearance. This is the paradox that leads us to see ourselves as somehow separate, and therefore God must be somewhere out there.
Second, when we hear that God is pure Goodness, we can mistake the word good for a value judgement, as in good or bad. I believe that Absolute Goodness refers to that which is Life-affirming, that which evolves us, both individually and collectively; that which evolves the planet…the cosmos; that which moves us toward greater complexity and greater unity. And the us here is not only humanity. We are one with the All-That-Is, with the Something-That-Cannot-Be-Named. This Goodness doesn’t mean that we are going to like whatever is happening, or that is will always feel good or look pretty. Seeing all that is unfolding in any given moment from a higher perspective, through God’s eyes, is more than our human minds can fathom.
Still, we do have our powers of intellect to help us along. I have found that my brain becomes a useful and devoted servant in matters of Spirit when I limit and direct its involvement. I use it as my avenue of awareness…to listen, read, and reflect on the words written by other wise beings. In this way, I broaden my own thinking and may begin to shift in what I feel or know to be true. I also use it to lead me into prayer and meditation, helping me to remember Who I Am and what I am a part of. And then I allow it to do the rest of its work without allowing the I That I Am to get wrapped up in the details. Finally, I use my mind to consciously choose where I will place my faith. I find that using my intellect consciously in this way brings a deeper sense of peace and contentment to my life. I am able to let go of the illusion of control, responding rather than reacting, and simply allowing Life to flow.
These are, indeed, challenging times for all of us. And I know that some are experiencing more difficulty than others. But all of us are affected by the multi-faceted nature of the personal and global conditions we are facing. As I move through this set of circumstances, living one day at a time, I choose to remain present to whatever is before me. And staying in the present moment, here is what I consciously choose to place my faith in: God is Good, and only Good; Spirit is pure Love, giving of Itself unconditionally as all of Creation. Part of that Creation is humanity, with all of its filters, beliefs, self-awareness, choices, and actions. Because of our unique self-reflective capacities, we help shape how God shows up, both individually and collectively. All of it is Spirit giving of Itself through what appears to be Laws or Principles. (One of my teachers calls them tendencies of nature, to remind us that we can never really know for sure that they are unchanging…a topic for another day.)
I believe that what we define as paradox is really two aspects of one Whole. Human and Divine are gracefully blended into one type of being…us. Essence and substance are beautifully combined so that our world and everything in it, and the cosmos for as far as it extends, can come into form. And because it is so vast, so far beyond what I can really comprehend, I embrace the mystery. I let go of my need to know, my compulsion to have the answers. And I consciously choose to experience the wonder of all of it. While I allow myself to fully feel and express each emotion as it arises, I move myself to the next step of the process…looking for, and finally finding, the opportunities that abound in every challenge. By consciously engaging with each experience, I use it to build my spiritual muscle, trusting that I am growing into a stronger, more conscious version of myself.
And finally, I give thanks. I know that all of what is serves as the container in which my life can exist. I came across a profound question and answer in one of my readings yesterday. Here is what it said: (The woman being spoken to is 105 years old.) “What do you think is the deepest lesson you have learned in your life?” She responded, “This is my life. I have no other.” (Aging as a Spiritual Practice by Lewis Redmond) This very simple statement reminds me to be grateful every day, no matter what the day holds. This is my life. I have no other. This is my work.
This morning, Unity’s Daily Word reminded me to, “gratefully accept God’s grace.” The reading calls me to “let go of the struggle to make things happen…release my grip on specific outcomes and surrender my wants and needs to the grace of Spirit…and open myself to receive it.”
May we all recognize, welcome, and willingly receive the grace that is showered upon us…
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…
