To return to innocence is to return to that place where on a deep level you are pure again. It is that place where you are unfettered by guilt, fear, anger and the desire to be in control. It is that wide-eyed open place of a child where each moment is an opportunity to experience something new. It is a place of no past and no future - just the now. It is being in the moment, which is recreated in the next moment.
At birth, we are pure in this way. Then ego begins to develop and the world begins to have its way with us. Other egos start to play a role in what we think, feel, and do. We begin to develop our “World View”. Do this, do not do that; be this don’t be that. Be strong, protected, in control. Be the master of your own destiny. We begin to live this way, but something seems to be missing. We look into the eyes of those around us and we see it missing in them as well. What is it? We grieve our loss and that grief just propels us further away. We find ourselves in a kind of black hole of desperation. We begin searching for that which we have lost.
When innocence is lost, the sun seems less bright. The stars appear less magical. We perceive that there is danger all around. God seems far away, somewhere out there. We feel that darkness is all around and that light is elusive. Grace is nonexistent. We feel that peace is not obtainable.
Identifying that these things are missing is the first step in returning to that child like view, that place of wonder, our innocence. Soon see that if we just let ourselves fall into the loving arms of the universe, that which we have been seeking had never really left us. It has been deep inside us all along. When we stop listening to the “World View” and start listening to the voice of the universe we will find it again.
Surrender your will to the will of the universe. Turn over control to the divine. Remember that you are not alone; you are part of God and God is part of you. In concert, you can do things greater than you could have ever done on your own.
When you have done this, you will have returned to your innocence and the sun will be bright again. The stars will touch you with their magic and you will be safe. God will be closer than you ever could have imagined. You will be filled with light. You will feel grace and will be at peace.
There will still be challenges, but you will perceive them in a new way. You will see with new eyes and will address your challenges with the full knowledge that they are for the moment and that in the next moment they will be transformed. With each breath you will be reminded how much wonder there is in you, fully human, fully divine.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The Sound of Your Own Voice
Not too long ago, I was having one of those days when I just could not pull myself out of the past and back into the moment. I was utterly depressed and bogged down in a general feeling of hopelessness. To describe the place I was in as a dark pit would be an understatement. A trusted friend and confidant had betrayed me over a year ago and I could not move past it. On this day, all the feelings of anger, hurt, and disappointment bubbled inside me like simmering vat of poison ready to consume me at any moment. I felt abandoned by the person that I had respected, admired, and loved and I felt abandoned by God.
In order to pull out of this place I decided I needed to talk to someone and called my dear friend Joy. Joy, is an ordained minister, and has known me for nearly twenty years. I have always found her to be wise and straightforward, just what I needed at this point. Certainly, she would be able to explain to me why God and the Universe had turned on me in a time when I needed comforting the most. I knew I needed to come to a place of forgiveness, forgiving my betrayer and myself but the road to that place was unclear. I was sure that Joy would be able to light the way for me. So off I went to meet with her, confident that she would spew out some words of wisdom that would help to pull me out of the pit.
For two hours, we talked about the circumstances that had taken place. We talked about forgiveness and why I felt that I needed to forgive myself. We talked about anger and resentment, trust and abandonment. Then she asked the question. Why do you think that God has abandoned you? My reply,” because I cannot hear God’s voice anymore.” I waited for her response sure, that this would be the moment that she would impart wisdom that would pull me back into the light. All she did was ask another question, “What does God’s voice sound like?” I was so disappointed in her at that moment. My mind raced looking for an answer and then it happened. I have no idea where my answer came from. It seemed too roll off my tongue without going through my brain first. I had no time to analyze the validity of my statement, it was just there. “Maybe the reason I do not think that God is talking to me is because the voice God uses is my own.” A smile erupted on Joy’s face and my brain entered that Aha stage.
On an intellectual level, I have always believed that to be created in the image of God meant that within us was a spark of divinity, that the heart of God was within our hearts. What I had never fully embodied in my understanding was that God’s wisdom could possibly come from within me. I have always had a very strong gut instinct about things but I have not always listened to it. Until that moment talking to Joy, I had never equated that gut instinct, my own voice, as coming from that divine part of me.
God speaks to us in many ways, through music, nature, and the voices of others. One of the ways God speaks to us is through our own experiences and from deep within our own heart. Often times we dismiss these messages because they come in the form of our own voice. Deep within our being is our essence, the part of us that has always been, and will always be, connected to the source of our creation. Some of us see this source as God and some as the Universe, by whatever name we call source it is clear that we are an integral part. Within us lies the wisdom and voices of the ages we need only still our minds, release our ego, and listen. Be open and do not dismiss your inner knowing. The answers you seek may come in the sound of your own voice.
Blessings,
Sheila
In order to pull out of this place I decided I needed to talk to someone and called my dear friend Joy. Joy, is an ordained minister, and has known me for nearly twenty years. I have always found her to be wise and straightforward, just what I needed at this point. Certainly, she would be able to explain to me why God and the Universe had turned on me in a time when I needed comforting the most. I knew I needed to come to a place of forgiveness, forgiving my betrayer and myself but the road to that place was unclear. I was sure that Joy would be able to light the way for me. So off I went to meet with her, confident that she would spew out some words of wisdom that would help to pull me out of the pit.
For two hours, we talked about the circumstances that had taken place. We talked about forgiveness and why I felt that I needed to forgive myself. We talked about anger and resentment, trust and abandonment. Then she asked the question. Why do you think that God has abandoned you? My reply,” because I cannot hear God’s voice anymore.” I waited for her response sure, that this would be the moment that she would impart wisdom that would pull me back into the light. All she did was ask another question, “What does God’s voice sound like?” I was so disappointed in her at that moment. My mind raced looking for an answer and then it happened. I have no idea where my answer came from. It seemed too roll off my tongue without going through my brain first. I had no time to analyze the validity of my statement, it was just there. “Maybe the reason I do not think that God is talking to me is because the voice God uses is my own.” A smile erupted on Joy’s face and my brain entered that Aha stage.
On an intellectual level, I have always believed that to be created in the image of God meant that within us was a spark of divinity, that the heart of God was within our hearts. What I had never fully embodied in my understanding was that God’s wisdom could possibly come from within me. I have always had a very strong gut instinct about things but I have not always listened to it. Until that moment talking to Joy, I had never equated that gut instinct, my own voice, as coming from that divine part of me.
God speaks to us in many ways, through music, nature, and the voices of others. One of the ways God speaks to us is through our own experiences and from deep within our own heart. Often times we dismiss these messages because they come in the form of our own voice. Deep within our being is our essence, the part of us that has always been, and will always be, connected to the source of our creation. Some of us see this source as God and some as the Universe, by whatever name we call source it is clear that we are an integral part. Within us lies the wisdom and voices of the ages we need only still our minds, release our ego, and listen. Be open and do not dismiss your inner knowing. The answers you seek may come in the sound of your own voice.
Blessings,
Sheila
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