we want because our plan would be better than God’s.
Sit in a relaxed position and close your eyes. Take a couple of deep breaths. As always, ask God to be with you. Is there a problem that you definitely want help with? Think of it now. What have you supposed the outcome to be? Is there only one outcome or several? How do you know which is best? How do you know which would be the most beneficial to everyone involved including you? The answer is -you really can’t know.
Can you begin to see that you might not know the best outcome for a situation? Can you try and allow God to deal with the situation in His way? Ask for His help.
Try now to experience how much God loves you. Sit with His love embracing you. Then try and carry that love and experience with you.
Your Thoughts/Experience:
“. . . Life is easy. Life is delightful. It’s only hard on your illusions, your ambitions, your greed, your cravings . . .”
Anthony de Mello
How fearless are we? Honestly. If we were fearless, we would have no problem asking for help from heaven whenever we encounter confusing difficulties in our day -to -day life, but most of the time we probably do not. Why is that? Perhaps sometimes we may forget to ask, especially since we’re so used to handling things ourselves. Although handling things ourselves doesn’t always seem to work out the way we hoped it would, being independently human, we keep on trying anyway. Why else don’t we ask for help from the one source that knows how to help? Here’s a thought: Trust. Trusting assistance from God doesn’t sound too practical especially when we need practical, independent human help now. Hmm. How well is your method for gaining lasting assistance working for you?
How practical is asking God for assistance on a regular basis? Depending upon your frame of mind, it can seem like a no brainer, while at other times, the thought of stopping in the middle of an ‘incident’ of whatever kind to ask a non-physical person for help feels insane. While we readily and unwittingly trust our parents, relatives, and even coworkers for methods in handling difficulties whether they worked or not, we are not so readily willing to trust heaven’s guidance.
Trusting in the guidance of heaven necessitates moving away from the little will that we suppose holds our answers and support. It also necessitates being aware of our own participation in colluding with other little wills to the exclusion of heaven. When we consciously choose the Will of heaven, over and above our own capricious little will, all assistance is ours.
‘Our fearlessness towards him consists in this, that if we ask anything in accordance with his will he hears us’.
John 5:14–15
Take a Moment to Listen:
There is always a choice to be made between a small, frightened will and the Will of Heaven itself. Each choice either brings more confusion and pain, or gratitude and gentle embrace. In any given moment become aware of that which you are choosing, then choose the Will of Heaven with certainty.
Guided Meditation
Trusting God to guide us is often difficult. Sometimes we don’t even ask for His help. We just believe we have to figure it all out by ourselves. It doesn’t occur to us that we don’t have to figure everything out alone.
Find your favorite spot and sit down. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Once again, ask God to be with you. He is already here, but you may not be aware. What is it that you are struggling with the most right now? What do you need help understanding? Think about it for a few minutes. Tell God what it is that is bothering you. Tell Him what you need guidance with. You can take your time. There is no rush. He is infinitely patient.
He wants you to know that you are not alone. Can you listen for Him to whisper that He is always with you? Sit with Him for a while. Perhaps something new in this space will occur to you. If not right now, there will be endless possibilities for Him to guide you. Perhaps you will read something, or hear something, or get a feeling or sense of being led.
Don’t feel you have to know right now. Leave space for God to help you throughout the day and week. Trust that He loves you and wants to help you. Stay in this place of love and acceptance for as long as you need to. God goes with you—always.
Your Thoughts/Experience:
“The church will have to initiate everyone—priests, religious and laity—into this ‘art of accompaniment’, which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other.”
Pope Francis
As you look upon another, whom do you see? If you look carefully you will recognize something of yourself. You will recognize the same emotions of fear, pain and distress. You will also recognize hope and joy. So forgiveness then becomes a little easier—for others are not so unlike you.
If you can look with compassion you can recall that as God loves you in your pain and fear, does He not love them in their pain also? You will remember that your brother and sister were created in the same loving kindness.
If Love is compassionate and understanding with you—can you not open the door to your heart, just a little for others? God looks upon all of His children in perfect and sacred love.
“But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they got together sand to put him to the test, one of them put a further question, “Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?” Jesus said to him you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second commandment resembles it: You must love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:34–38
Take a Moment to Listen:
Love is all encompassing my child and leaves out no one. Love creates in love equally and for all eternally. You have looked on another and have forgotten who you both are. You often fear you walk alone, yet you are blind to the exquisite love that is your birthright as it was also given to those that walk with you.
As you love and forgive another, you will gently watch their dark shadows fall away. Here you will recognize their beauty—for it is also yours. You were both created in perfect love and eternal joy. As you see it in another my child, you will rejoice in knowing you walk with those I have lovingly embraced just as I lovingly embrace you.
Guided Meditation
When we are in emotional pain or distress it’s very difficult to remember how much God loves us. It’s impossible to know when we are judging others through our own pain or distress.
Though we may forget, God’s love always surrounds us. We might not be able to recognize it however, when we wrap ourselves in negativity and pain we cannot hear the call of Ultimate Love.
Find your favorite quiet spot and sit down in a relaxed position. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Now in this quiet, calm space, invite God to be with you. Allow yourself to experience His gentle love. Listen as God speaks softly to you. Hear Him tell you how much He loves you and how precious you are to Him. His love never left you.
Allow yourself to stay in His love for as long as you need to. He is always with you, even when you are not aware or open to that love. Now perhaps you can carry that love with you and gently extend it to all those you meet everyday.
Your Thoughts/Experience:
“Criticism
