Excerpt:
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| Ilustrations
by Michael D. Purvis (c) 2002 |
1.
Remember that what happened in your past is not who you are.
If you are suffering inside from some anguish, old or new,
make an effort to let go of this thing which ties your psyche
and spirit up in knots. Realize it is illusory and holds no
real power over you.
Further,
having resolved to release that particular anguish which eats
up so much of your energy, creativity, and love, begin next
to let go of all the negative memory tapes which play over
and over
in your mind.
You
know them. They are the ones that say:
"I'm
so afraid . . . "
"What if such and such happens . . . ?"
"I should have . . . "
"Why didn't I . . . ?"
"If only I had. . . " and
"Now I'll never be able to . . ."
Etc.,
etc., etc., on and on they go! In letting go of these, you
will begin to align your spirit with that of love. As this
alignment occurs, begin very gently but ardently to turn toward
love and embrace it completely. Do this even if you feel that
you yourself are not worthy. Do this even if others have hurt
you, or if you have hurt others. Do this even if you suspect
the world you inhabit is beyond redemption.
Why
do this? Do it because God and His Love is quite different
than one might suppose. He (or She- think of God as you wish)
is far more approachable, loving and forgiving than we imagine.
Do this because a little seed of love is enough for a sweeping
transformation inside of you and throughout the whole world.
Remember
that God forgives all and sees you in innocence. See yourself
this way now, and extend this same gift to others. See your
brothers and sisters in innocence as God does. See the diamond
that is there, was there all along underneath the coatings
and layers of dust, darkness, fear, and shame. Let go of all
the negativity which enslaves your spirit, and strive to make
love the motivating factor behind all your thoughts, actions,
intentions, words and deeds.
Admittedly,
this is a difficult thing to do; but if you and even a few
others can manage it, the energy of love this creates, will
free and transform the entire world. This is so because whether
we realize it or not, we are all connected!
"That
is all well and good," you say, "but how does one
accomplish this; how does one even begin?" What you will
read in the following pages are a few suggestions, a few things
learned on the road, a few ideas which might help you to begin
to plant your spirit and your life firmly in the ground of
love.
If
we can become firmly rooted in love and remove negative obstacles,
we will, I believe, quite naturally find ourselves in a path
of abundance and divine flow. This is a path where our dreams
and intentions, because they are aligned with love and unimpeded
by negativity, frequently manifest in a manner which we previously
would have called miraculous. Further, when we are able to
accomplish this for ourselves, we extend it to the world because
of our spiritual connection to our fellow humans.
What
we all must realize, in order to save ourselves and our world,
is that what The Bible and many other books of scripture say
is true: "God is Love!" Now when we remove the negative
thoughts, feelings and actions which put a barrier between
ourselves and God (or our neighbor), we feel a wondrous love.
Having felt this love, we realize, even if only for a moment,
that we truly are not separate from each other or from God.
We know it, that is, until some petty thought, argument, desire,
or jealousy creeps in to shade our eyes again. This situation
reminds me vividly of the New Testament scripture which states
"For now we see in a mirror darkly . . ." Could
it actually be that there really is no separation between
ourselves and God, ourselves and our neighbor? If we all were
to accept this hypothesis, would it not radically change us
and our world?
So
let us assume (and I know this is a big leap for some of us)
that we can at least envision there being no separation between
us, God, and our neighbor, and that this might have a great
effect upon us and our world. Having gotten that far, let
us not quibble over whether or not this means that we actually
are God or not. Humanity could fight over this doctrinal question
till the cows come home! Let us, instead, simply content ourselves
by agreeing that we can at least envision
no separation, and that certainly we want there to be nothing
which separates us from the love of God. Few, I hope, would
disagree with this!
Love,
we might also agree, is powerful. We have all seen love works
miracles. The Course in Miracles suggests that one miracle
is not bigger or harder to accomplish than the next. Now if
we can envision no separation, and desire it, and if we know
in our hearts that God is the great Miracle Worker, then might
not our own access to miracles be greater than we might imagine?
What
grand miracles, both spiritual and (seemingly) temporal, might
be accomplished through this newly embraced understanding
of our connected-ness to God and our neighbor? Might not miracles
become a part of every day experience for each of us? And
if miracles were to happen as a matter of course in each day,
might not the term miracle even become archaic, because it
would no longer accurately describe our experience?
If
a critical mass of humans believed in connected-ness and began
to let this knowledge transform their lives, is it not conceivable
that this newly accepted truth could be the seed-bank for
humanity's transformation?
I
think at the very least, that this is a powerful new possibility
worth exploring. There have been saints and sages upon the
earth who have believed this; but never has there been a critical
mass of souls striving to put this belief into practice. Never
before has there been the level of technology and communication
we have today on earth, or the ability for spiritual truth
to be disseminated to the world so easily and so quickly.
We live in a truly amazing time when there is a great potential
for healing and union or division and destruction. What will
we humans make of this turning point in history?
It has taken me a long time to come to the conclusions and
questions listed above. I had to learn many lessons during
the course of my life's journey, lessons which would prepare
my spirit to be planted in the ground of love. I am still
learning! Sometimes, like the rest of humanity, I take one
step forward and two steps back. Yet I do believe overall
that I am growing; and I am listening for God's voice, the
voice of love.
Perhaps
as you read this book you will remember things you have learned
in your own life-journey. Perhaps you will want to jot down
your own realizations. I encourage you to do so! That's how
this book began, with stopping to take stock of things I have
learned and jotting them down.
This
book has become a synthesis of all I have absorbed and found
to be true, a synthesis of all that keeps me walking on the
road towards love. If I visualize the creation of this book,
it is as though I see myself walking down the road, traveling
toward Oz or some other yearned for mythical city. Then I
see myself pause, sit down beside the road on a large comfortable
boulder, and jot down what I have found to be most helpful
and beneficial on my journey.
The
stopping and taking stock is so important for all of us. I
hope my words are inspiring for you. Keep what resonates with
you, set aside what does not; but file what does not resonate
right now away in your heart and mind, for you may find some
of it useful at a later date in your life. I know that this
strategy has proved beneficial to me in my own reading and
study.
I
do sincerely hope that you will add your own truth. If you
want to scribble your own thoughts in the margins, go ahead.
I won't mind! We are all writing a book together, you know.
I think each of our lives is a chapter. Somehow it all fits
together. I hope you enjoy this account of what I have learned
in my own little chapter, my own experience of life. Digest
it, scribble notes, agree, disagree- discourse is good! That's
how we learn. It isn't antithetical to love. We must all allow
each other to learn, grow and perceive in the way that's right
for each of us.
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