Why Me?

Today, I went to the movie “Heaven Is For Real”, which I found to be a very accurate portrayal of the impact of, what is usually called, a “near death experience”.  It was my opinion, that the movie presented an accurate sense of the feelings and life changes caused by such an experience, though, in my case, I am not a Christian so the images were different during my near death experience.  The important things during both experiences were the overwhelming and strong feelings of love and well-being.  The other aspect of the movie that I found particularly accurate was its portrayal of an almost need to act in accordance with that love, resulting in a distinct change of  behavior.  It is as if the experience sparked some sort of God seed in me to act in accordance with that love.  I am left with the question “why me?”,which, in many ways, makes no difference.

Different Level Of Reality II

Yesterday, I described visitations that I have experienced from non-physical people, spirits, who were actually, I understand through meditation, myself from a previous life.  Since that time I have experienced seeing a condor, a bird with a nine foot wingspan that does not live in this area and which noone else saw, a pinion jay in the middle of a cliff-face with no pinion pines, or any other form of sustenance, in the vicinity, and numerous humming-birds which made no sounds with their wings as they flew.  None of these things were “real”, at least in the physical sense.  These occurrences all represented the presence of different levels of reality.  I would like to point out that there was nothing weird, scary or exceptional in any way about any of these occurrences, as Hollywood often portrays such events, they were simply something that is because it is.

Another Level Of Reality

I have been visited by spirits several times, usually as a method of their support and encouragement, and always on their terms.  The first three or four times (still not sure!) it happened were associated with a traditional Native American sweat lodge.  On one of the first occasions, it was the middle of winter, with snow on the ground and I was awaiting the beginning of the ceremony, along with several others, mostly Natives.  A young Native person arrived, wearing fringed buckskin leggings with no shoes or shirt.  I welcomed him, thinking everything totally normal, we talked quietly a bit and he sat next to me in the lodge.  Later, when it was his turn to pray, I looked over and, much to my surprise, he was no longer there.  After the lodge, I asked the leader of the ceremony if someone had left, and he looked at me strangely and assured me that noone had.  The next time I was visited was very similar, but I spoke with noone about it, knowing, after the fact, what had happened.  The time after that, it was a very young Native of five or six, also wearing traditional clothing, and I recognized him as a spirit.  Just before he left, he smiled, waved and I acknowledged him.  Since those times, similar things have happened numerous times, involving non-physical people, animals and things.  The reason I bring it up is that these things actually happened, meaning there is something really there, and, on each occasion, I thought it totally normal, though I was being exposed to a different level of reality.  It was only after the fact that I realized there was something abnormal going on.

Small Quiet Voice II

In me, that “small, quiet voice within”, the God/love voice, is neither small or quiet, though it certainly used to be.  Many years ago, when that voice was small and quiet, I began paying attention to it and talking about it to others.  It was during that period that I realized that everyone knew what the “right” or loving thing to do was, they just didn’t always do it.  I came to realize that everyone had that “spark”, a piece of God/love within them.  In my case, the reason that voice has gotten louder and stronger is, as far as I can tell, because that is the internal voice that I attend to, that voice is my guide.  The voice of fear and ego is still there, but it is now fairly quiet and I tend not to pay much attention to it.

That Small, Quiet Voice

I work with the God/love “seed” or part within each of my clients.  All people (and other living things!) have that seed or part.  It is that part that recognizes and wishes to behave in a loving fashion, often called that “small, quiet voice within”.  When I connect with that part, magic happens, it’s often quite amazing.  I am reminded of the words of  Claremont deCastillejo when she wrote “rain will fall on the parched fields, and tears will turn bitter grief to flowering sorrow, while stricken children dry their eyes and laugh."  These same clients frequently have anti-social or negative tendencies, which is all most people perceive if they cannot connect with the God/love part.  When that is the only part they perceive, the results of their interactions are negative, as well.

Going With The Flow

For me, life has gotten very busy lately, so it would be easy for me to give up some of my devotional time or self-care, a tendency I need to guard against.  I have an increased client load, my correspondence with families has increased and I am making final preparations for a retreat I will lead at the end of this month.  Doing these things necessitates that I not resist what life has put in front of me and that I continue asking for support and guidance as well as continuing my prayer and meditation.  I also need to continue with things like exercise, eating carefully and sleeping enough.  Resisting requires time and energy, while accomplishing nothing.  Historically, though not recently, I have let these things slide in response to a busy life, with negative results.

Motivation For Change

As I say on my website, “Judgment, guilt, fear and shame have no place in a God conscious world”.  Being alive on earth is about growth and change, a wonderful process to be a part of and to observe.  That process certainly involves stress and difficulties, at times, but is still wonderful.  Love, compassion and understanding promote growth and change. While  judgment, guilt, fear and shame actually inhibit growth and change, though fear can, at times, cause short term changes in behavior which are needed at times, especially with children.

The Strength Of Love

Typically love has been portrayed as weak and/or passive while the various forms of aggression are seen as active and/or strong.  It seems apparent that, of the two approaches, aggression is favored by the various forms of media.  Personally, I have never known aggression to come from a place of strength.  I have noticed aggression stem from attitudes of fear, hurt and shame, but not strength.  Love, on the other hand, can be quite strong and active.  I have very strong, passionate relationships and will go out of my way to support people I care about.  I care very deeply about the people I interact with and will act accordingly.  Also, people tend to not cross my boundaries, out of respect and understanding.

Power Of Love II

In the events that I summarized yesterday, it seems clear that the “seed” of God in me connected with that same seed in others, resulting in peace and healing.  On the other hand, in the past, when I projected ego, caution, fear or anger, the response was likely to be aggression of some sort.  The response I get, reflects what I project.  As in other people, I  have both potentials inside, and what I project depends on which one I develop and nurture. I would rather be a source of peace and healing, a very good reason for me to continue doing my prayer and meditation each morning.

The Power Of Love

For the last several days, I have been reflecting on the fact that if I feel and project the love, respect and understanding that I find in the God place during any sort of interaction, then the fears, ego and potential aggression in the people around me just dissolve and go away, a very good example of the power of love to change things.  A rather dramatic example from my own life was several years ago when I was working in the locked ward of a mental health hospital.  One of the patients/clients who was a recovering meth addict, had escaped and was exhibiting some violence in the parking area of the facility.  It took three attendants to restrain him and bring him to an isolation room to talk with me.  I met with him alone  and projected love, respect and understanding.  He quickly calmed down and was fine, without any added medication or restraint.  I realize now that I had done none of the things that fear and my training would have led me to do such as not meeting with him alone or making sure that I had a clear, unobstructed escape route.  There have been numerous other, less dramatic, examples of the calming effect of love on potentially explosive interactions in my life, all examples of the power of love.