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Love is not a destination but an experience. Love is a feeling, but also a commitment. Love is not passive but active. In this present moment, and in every moment to come, choose love, for love is a choice, and not something that simply happens to us. We feel love from others, but until we also give love, it is not complete. If we want to love as The Divine loves, then love should be given to all in equal proportion. And, don’t forget, love is given to ourselves as well as to others.
A good healthy dose of love for self, partner, neighbor, and enemies is the only remedy our world needs. Give love without strings attached. Give it freely to all who ask and to those who don’t. Give it to those who seem to refuse it. Love, like water, can transform the landscape from a barren desert to a plush oasis. On this day, and on every day, remember that love is not a destination, but a state of mind, a state of being, a state of heart, and a state of our souls. The more we give, the greater is our capacity to receive more and to give more. Be in a state of love—always and for all time.
When we get rid of the clutter in our lives, it’s generally a good thing. There are times when we throw something out, something we may have been holding onto for years, “just in case we need it,” only to discover shortly after it is gone that if we’d only kept it a little longer we could have used it. But, for the most part, our lives are often filled with so much clutter that we find it difficult to enjoy life, and in extreme circumstances, the clutter paralyzes to the point we can no longer function.
Clutter in our spiritual lives often defeats us from enjoying the present moments. Sometimes this clutter comes in the form of rules, guidelines, procedures, programs, and traditions. Sometimes the clutter comes in the form of responsibilities—jobs and families—and there may be little we can do to change things. I looked for an antonym of clutter but didn’t find just one specific word. Instead I found “near antonyms” such as calm, hush, peace, quiet, stillness, and order. A lack of clutter in the physical world doesn’t guarantee these positive qualities will result, but it certainly allows for them to happen more easily. In the spiritual realm, a lack of clutter doesn’t necessarily bring these qualities either, but it certainly provides an atmosphere more conducive to finding the peace we seek. If we take time once in a while to pray without asking, we may also want to pray without the clutter of religious rules and restrictions. Relax. Throw out anything that doesn’t support your communion with The Divine, and rest in the Divine Presence.
If we believe The Divine knows our thoughts, our needs, and our desires, do we really need to petition The Divine for these things? A good divine Parent would provide us those things without our having to ask. And, if that Creator withholds anything that we might ask for, wouldn’t it be reasonable to conclude that The Divine is only looking out for us?
So, how do we pray without asking? One way is to express our gratitude for the provisions that are ours. Another is to step aside and allow The Divine to do what The Divine does best. An extension of that thought is to acknowledge our unknowing and to make ourselves open and vulnerable to our highest and best. Life is often lived in reverse. During the present moment we seldom understand what is going on, but given the grace of time, we examine the past and discover our path led us exactly where we needed to go. If we pray without asking, what does that look like in practice? Often the initial attempt is feeble—and short. We struggle to formulate a prayer that is void of requests. Instead of asking, we might try prayers of openness and thanks. “Open my eyes to the miracles in store for me today. Help me to align with Divine will in my life.” Even these prayers are petitions, but they are headed in the right direction. The goal is to set aside ego, pride, and the need to control our world and to open to the possibilities when we step aside and allow The Divine to love us.
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Religious RecoveryOur purpose is to help individuals to heal who have been injured by religion or the religious. We welcome your comments and questions. Archives
December 2018
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