October 22: Day 114

STONE FOUR CONTINUED
 
Discern: It is my responsibility to discern what works for me and what does not, always remembering that what may not resonate with me today may resonate at another time.

Instruction: You decide.

I like Stone Four, because it puts the responsibility for my spiritual path into my hands, into my discernment, and into my ability to connect with my inner guidance system. I trust myself, and I trust those who are committed to finding their own path through their connection with The Divine. I don’t always trust decisions that others might try to make on my behalf. They can’t know my reasoning, my heart, or the thoughts going through my mind. I have to remember this when I am trying to help someone heal from religious abuse. I believe my connection with The Divine is strong, but I can’t always be certain that what I’m hearing is from Spirit and not from my ego. I’m working on this, and I believe it’s getting better. I don’t want to push people in the wrong direction, or give advice that they are not ready to hear or might not be meant for them. A problem that sometimes arises with religious organizations is that they believe what they believe is true for everyone, and that isn’t always true.

Some religious organizations have sent out missionaries to convert the “heathen” and have spent a lot of time concerned about how those “heathens” dress as opposed to how they behave. What is true for those in one country might not be true for another. In America, we believe it is proper for a woman in public to cover her breasts, but in some countries, this is not their truth, and they see no harm in women exposing their breasts. Who is right and who is wrong is not a moral issue but a cultural issue. Should a woman visiting a country where the women are comfortable with exposed breasts continue to cover or breasts or should she try to blend in with the culture? For me, the answer is in the ability to discern what is best for the individual, and I am comfortable with either decision. If I were a woman I might try on both to determine which one I was more comfortable with. Many of our spiritual decisions can be made with the same level of nonattachment. As long as it’s not a moral issue, we try on one thing and see if we are comfortable with it, and if not, we can try something else. We can always revisit the decision later. I believe there are a lot of rules and regulations in religion that are not moral issues but social issues. For these, we are certainly capable of deciding for ourselves what works for us and what does not.

Consider beliefs that you might have been taught were religious standards but are not accepted as standards in other religions or cultures. Examine the proof or explanation provided by a religious organization to determine if it makes sense to you. We can accept some customs without rebelling if those customs do us no harm, but knowing that they are customs we decide to accept and not customs that are based on morality, allows us to discern and take responsibility for our decisions and our spiritual journey.