The Prayer Chest

When I went to bed last night and started to quiet my mind for sleep, I realized how sad I was feeling over a situation one of my loved ones, and her family, is facing.  It had been bothering me all day, but more on the edges of my awareness because my son has been home from college this week, and I’ve been happily involved in spending time with him.

Last night, I had a chance to think about how serious her situation is.  Most gratefully, there is always a tool in times of need, one that will redirect my attention to the truth that the light of God exists in all things.

I read a book some time ago with a Unity study group called “The Prayer Chest: A Novel About Receiving All of Life’s Riches” by August Gold and Joel Fotinos.  It’s a short book and an easy read, told as a story.  I enjoyed it on a number of levels.  First of all, the story provides some wonderful insights on when and why we perceive that our prayers are being answered, or not.  I plan to write about those insights in a later post.

Another very helpful thing in this story is the central idea of a prayer chest, which the main character finds in his attic.  It's a simple wooden box, filled with his ancestors’ prayers.  He and his children are changed as they begin to use the prayer chest through their hardships.  The important thing about the prayer chest is that once the prayer is written down and slipped into the box, it’s never taken out again.  Once it’s in there, it’s in God’s hands.

My husband made a wooden prayer box for me this past Christmas, which now contains quite a few of my prayers.  It's very simple and beautiful, maybe the size of half of a shoebox with a slot on top for inserting slips of paper.  I haven’t felt the need to use it in some time, but last night I realized that I, and the family in question, could be helped by it.

I turned on the light, got up, wrote out my prayer and put it in the chest, and got back into bed.  A few minutes later I realized that I had something to add, so I got up and added another slip of paper to the chest.  Then got back into bed and went to sleep.

This morning when I woke, I knew that the burden had been lifted.  I felt clearer and lighter, but more importantly I knew that the situation with my loved ones would resolve in a way that benefits all.  The prayer chest is a physical place where we can store our concerns, then let them go, knowing that God will find them.  It provides a way to turn our concerns over to the God within everything, creating space for the light of divine intelligence to shine onto the situation.

I asked, through my written prayer placed in my prayer chest, and was answered, as I always am when I ask in the many different ways that are available to me, knowing they will be done. 

I'm thankful that my husband made the prayer chest for me; I really enjoy having it.  I don’t always use it because I pray in many different ways.  But the prayer chest is a very gentle, physical reminder that we can always ask, and we will always be answered.  

May you find many ways to know the God of your heart, and may this tool be a blessing. . . 

Stopping

I believe that stopping is a simple but important skill to cultivate. We can learn alot from cats, who elevate the skill of stopping to an art form!  Pausing from our daily activities for any amount of time, whether it’s 30 seconds or a few hours, can provide a way to reconnect with the pure intelligence within us, so that we know how to go forward in a way that is the most grounded, creative, and healthy.

Stopping is important for me to remember because like a lot of people I am busy, sometimes too much so. While it’s all good stuff, it’s important to me to maintain my equilibrium. I strive to hear my own voice and priorities as I live my life, and when I get too caught up in “doing” that becomes increasingly difficult.

I use the tool of stopping in many different ways. I teach it in classes as a stress management strategy. I have found that I'm never so busy that I can’t stop for 30 seconds, sitting at my desk between patients at work, and appreciate what’s outside my window, the trees, hills and changing sky. Thirty short seconds is enough to lift my perspective from “gotta hurry” to “I am open to the good that the upcoming encounter will bring.” All is changed in those few seconds.

The essence of my day is enhanced when I spend my lunchtime stopping, meditating or sitting in my car with the windows down just listening to the wind in the trees. I nurture my time with my husband when we sit facing each other at the end of the work day, before getting on to cooking or whatever else is in store, to see each other, hear each other without distraction, and say hello.

Stopping can be quick, or we can enjoy even more extended amounts of time. For me backpacking for a weekend feels like a whole 48 hours of stopping, no phone or clock, and nothing whatsoever to do except exist in awe of the beauty of nature.  Moments of stopping allow me to connect with the infinite wisdom of my soul, where all that happens before me is an expression of perfection.

May you relish your moments of being in the middle of your doing, and may this tool be a blessing. . .

Surprise!!!! Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Sherry! Five years ago Sherry threw me, her husband, a surprise 50th birthday party and I thought I would never get a chance to top that but, since she has spent the last five months writing this blog, sharing her wonderful wisdom with readers around the world, a plan started forming. An idea came to me in the middle of the night that woke me up and I couldn’t go back to sleep until I had thought it through. I wondered if anyone had ever thrown a surprise birthday party on the internet. Where else could you invite people from around the world, but no one would have to leave the comfort of their own home to attend. So welcome to Sherry’s surprise birthday party! Thank you for coming. We will all sing happy birthday now. “Happy birthday to you….."

I was so happy that Sherry decided to share the tools she’s learned with others. Since the first post, Sherry has tirelessly written down thoughts and tools that have brought her closer to her own God within. I’ve watched as she excitedly talks about every comment that is shared by you who read this blog. You have become her friends and extended spiritual family. I’ve gotten to know you all, from Inspiration Autsin, who has been here since the beginning, to Despina, who we met here on the blog and later met in person to attend one of her workshops. There’s Harshad whose “wonderful smile” shows up in so many of the posts and Bill, AKA Timberwolf123, who adds amazingly heartfelt comments that continue to inspire further discussion. There are so many more who follow this blog one way or another and visit often. Thank you for coming.

With the continued support from you, her new friends and family, as well as the encouragement and support from her old friends like Jeri and the Ya Ya group, I know that Daily Spiritual Tools will grow even bigger and Sherry will continue thinking about you daily.

Sherry always speaks of blessings on this blog, but for me (and I think you can see as well) she is the true blessing. Sherry, you are amazing; I see you, I love you, and I cherish the days that I have been blessed with you as my partner and friend. May you continue to share you amazing insights with this wonderful spiritual community that you have developed here.

Thank you all for being here. I know Sherry would love to have you here in person, but having you join me from around the world, celebrating her birthday is the next best thing.

May Sherry and Daily Spiritual Tools continue to be a blessing…

Joy

At a meeting last week, some coworkers and I were talking about something one of them had read recently, which I thought was wonderful. It was, simply, “What are the 10 things that bring you the most joy? Why aren’t you doing them?” For me this is a very worthy question, and gets right to the heart of the matter of creating the life we're meant to live.

We are here to fulfill every dream for ourselves that we can conceive, and in this way honor God within us, as limitless creators in our own right. But what is commonly accepted is that we will move through our days mostly doing what is expected of us, and not give nearly enough thought to choosing to do what brings the most joy.

Watching my son, who is now in college and juggling work, school, rehearsals, and a growing number of responsibilities, it occurs to me how early in life this happens. I'm grateful that he loves what he does.  We work hard today for rewards to be had later, hopefully, when school is finished or we’ve found a good job, or it’s time for vacation from work or retirement. I like to think that in most cases those rewards do come to pass, but what about now? I believe that we can strive to accomplish those things that are important to us, but not get so lost in the striving that we miss knowing joy in today.

I tried it this morning, writing a list of 10 things that bring me the most joy. And what I found is that it contained simple things like dancing and backpacking, listening to God within me and nurturing my body, the beloved expression of my soul.

I’m finding that joy is a very moment-to-moment thing. There have been many big things that I’ve worked hard and planned for in my life, and they were unforgettable, but the conscious decisions that I’ve made to find joy in the small daily events are what have brought the most peace and happiness.

When the big things come up that I want to do, I find a way to do them with relish and remember them always - one noteworthy example is skydiving.  I've done it a few times and it's always amazing like nothing else I've experienced.  It's huge fun, but I can't say that having done it brings joy to my life.  As great as the big things are, they don’t add as much depth and meaning and love to my days as the simple things on my list.

Others will likely find a completely different focus in considering what 10 things bring the most joy, but the important question remains, if there are things on your list that you are not doing, what better time to begin than now?

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Belonging

We all feel a sense of belonging in this life to varying degrees, to our spouses or partners, children, birth families, friends, communities, ethnic groups and cultures.  We strive to belong, as it is a very basic human need.  It provides not only safety and security, but also the opportunity to know ourselves more fully by noticing how we are seen by others, through their own life's lenses.

The truth is that the moment we draw our first breath in this world, we belong.  As children of the earth, we join the ranks of all others who have molded this gift of life into our best vision.  We belong to that very holy family of spiritual beings having a human experience, encountering myriad paths, trials, tribulations, and joys and sorrows along the way.

From where we sit as children of the earth, the world can seem very big indeed, our perspectives divergent, and others' ways difficult to understand.  But from farther out, the worldly belonging that we share pales in comparison to the common spark we share as children of creation.  Our being here, as we know it, is as our neighborhood playground is to the entire universe.  That is not meant to diminish the tremendous joy of playing at the playground, swinging high on the swings until I'm not sure I'll be able to walk straight when I stop.  My husband and I still do that sometimes, and it's a whole lot of fun.  But our belonging is much more profound.

I told a group of friends the other night that in those fleeting moments when I completely trust the God of creation in all things, it doesn't really matter if I am here, or somewhere else.  In those moments, I am aware that as a child of creation, my existence here is only a small part of all that I am.  As children of God, we are made of the consciousness that conceived all that is, the seen and the unseen, the known and the unknown, being, or ceasing to be.  We all embody the spark of light that contains all future and all past, transcends them, and just is.

May you rest in knowing yourself as the light of creation, and may this tool be a blessing. . .

Letting God

I have often heard the saying “Let go and let God.” I so very much agree with this statement, and when I hear it I think, “Yep, that’s important.” It is important, and simple in theory, but not at all easy in practice. More and more I am aware of how much I hold on to worry, and fear, and trying to control the outcome of things. It doesn’t matter how much I know in my head that my fussing isn’t needed or helpful, I end up fussing anyway.

It seems that the more I intend to let go and trust the divine intelligence that drives everything in my experience, the more I notice where I’m not letting go. Life is always providing opportunities to shine some light in the darkness. I am here to remember, and I am grateful.

When I do remember, in the middle of being troubled by some situation that is out of my control, that God has all of it, things get very quiet, and much simpler, in my body. My jumbled thoughts become peaceful, and I am aware of a rightness that leaves nothing for me to fight against. All is as it should be. That awareness is a huge gift.

That we can just let go are simple words to say, but the reality behind the words is powerful beyond measure. When we seek to fully grasp the truth that there really is nothing stronger than the endless, all-encompassing love we’re born of, overcoming any concern we could ever conceive, the human mind can't contain the immensity of it.  But spirit knows, and speaks quietly to us throughout all time that nothing less is true.  We are remembering that all that happens is designed for our ultimate good, because goodness is what we are.

Things will evolve in their own perfect way, as we remember that where we are, there is always light.

May this tool be a blessing. . .

Know Thyself

I think that knowing ourselves may be the most important spiritual tool. When we truly know ourselves, there can be no room for doubting our own precious value to the world. As unlimited creators made in the likeness and image of God, we could never be any less than perfect. And in fully accepting this truth, we cannot help but shine brighter in the world, living in awareness of the grace, intelligence and love that we embody.

Our existence provides much room for questioning the perfection of ourselves and our world, but that is as it should be, for we know something much more completely by first experiencing its absence. We are given anger so that we may know forgiveness, pain so that we may know peace, and fear so that we may know faith, and ultimately love. The dichotomies of our world give us divine experience in choosing a higher truth to live by. All is such that we may grow in forgiveness, peace, faith, and love for ourselves.

Know thyself doesn’t mean complete awareness of our own goodness in every moment. I believe that it means knowing just as thoroughly those parts of ourselves that are disconnected from the truth.  The less-than-perfect stuff is harder to get to know, because we tend to push it out of our awareness.  But both the darkness and the light are God within, expressing perfection through the finite, physical form that is us.

God is there, in our resistance to the parts of ourselves that get stuck and forget. God is also there watching our resistance, and knowing its temporary nature, a wave rolling by atop the vast ocean of our eternal selves.

In making friends with both the darkness and the light in our thinking, we find the courage to let go of the small stuff that captures our attention and holds us back. In our loving acceptance of ourselves, ripples of loving acceptance move out into the world, serving the highest good for all.

May this tool be a blessing. . .