Today, know that sometimes what others most need from you is your awareness of the deep, still, powerful, all embracing presence of Love, Spirit. In your presence, they can feel Presence. You may not need to say something particular, do something particular. Just be. Together.
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You do not have to fight for or search for your place (work, community, home). Your place is established and defended by Love itself. No one can take your place from you. It belongs to you. Your place cannot be hidden from you. Your place is a gift to you and to others. Trust.
The book of Isaiah says, "Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when you turn to the right and when you turn to the left."
Today, know that voice of guidance is with you. Sometimes you will hear it like a clear voice in the mind. Sometimes something you read or hear will ring like the truth. Sometimes it will be a sense of knowing - a sudden clarity or a slow dawning. Sometimes it will begin with just the longing to be and do good and to hear the guidance. Trust that Mind, Love, is speaking to you today and has given you the ability to hear. Today, know that you are so much more than your opinion of yourself: more beautiful, more powerful, more intuitive, more resilient, stronger. You are so much more than other people's opinion of you.
Other people are so much more than your opinion of them. There is well-known quote (some sources say by Robin Sharma): "The mind is wonderful servant, but a terrible master." Today, instead of letting your mind imagine that it's in control - with all the power and potential for disaster that includes - remind it that it's the servant of Mind, of the Great Consciousness, a Wisdom far great than itself. Sometimes, in prayer and meditation, I am given the message that I need to have higher expectations, to be more courageous and energetic.
Today though, the message is "be gentle." Be gentle in the way you speak to yourself. Be patient and kind, as you would with a shy child. Praise progress. Speak quiet, encouraging words. Let yourself take small steps toward goals and celebrate them. Rest. Delight in little things. Today, we return to an old favorite, from the book of Timothy:
"God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Today, claim your spiritual authority, that is naturally yours, your power over fear, self-doubt, limiting or misguided beliefs. Know that you are given love, wrapped in love, divinely adored. Watch for evidence of that. Know that love, not fear, impels your motives and actions. God has given you sanity: clear thinking, clear perspective, understanding, stability. Today, the lines from another old hymn (John Ryland 1777) came to mind:
O Lord, I would delight in thee, and on thy care depend; to thee in ev'ry trouble flee, my best, my ever friend. Today, delight in Love's presence with you and around you. Lean on and trust Love's care. Feel Love, as a best and trustworthy friend with you today. The book The Worry Cure says that anxious people often overvalue work and effort.
Of course, there are times for persistent effort, but the message for today is to recognize that you don't always need to work and try so hard. Today, know that energy, vitality, intelligence, insight, and wisdom are given to you by Love, as a gift. You need to be open to these gifts; striving too hard for them, from a belief that we are lacking, can block the channels. Accept gifts others give to you: of time, attention, ideas, help. Don't be frightened if something comes easily. Don't complicate things that don't need to be complicated. When Jesus was baptized, the spirit of God descended like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased."
That same spirit descends gently on you today. That same voice speaks, "This is my beloved son/daughter/child/friend in whom I am well-pleased." Today, know that you are made whole. You are made able to hear Love's voice speaking to you. You are made to feel Love's pleasure in you. Feeling Love's love and approval is not difficult because you are made for it. Today, know that worry and problem-solving are often our mind's way of coping with or distracting from uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or realities. Today, let go of the mind's busy efforts to control and fix. Although planning and problem-solving are necessary and useful skills, for some of us, they can take over and become our dominant mental activity, wearying us and actually steering us away from truths we need to see more clearly.
Today, take a vacation from worry and problem-solving and instead feel Love with you, as a companion, providing you rest, giving you clear sight, wrapping you in affection. Don't be afraid of whatever thoughts or fears might arise in that space; just feel Love embracing those thoughts without yet trying to fix anything. Action will come later - and from a wiser, more expansive place. |
AuthorTarn Wilson is the author of the memoir The Slow Farm and numerous essays. You may read more of her work at tarnwilson.com. Archives
September 2020
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