Never in the wrong place

Ever get in a situation and wonder, “How did I possibly land in this place?” Or, “There must be some lessons in this experience, but dang if I can see them.” I just read a really inspiring story about a guy who knows WHY he landed in a distressing place and WHAT he learned.

“A Story of Grace” (Christian Science Sentinel, October 1) is about a guy named Doug Sytsma who was put in jail for several days because of a serious disagreement with a contractor that led to criminal charges. He went into the jail having given up on any kind of spiritual pursuit and practice…and came out with a renewed sense of his inseparable relationship with God. And, not only was he transformed, he helped heal a cellmate of a debilitating back condition.

In Doug’s words, “I had stayed long enough not only to learn valuable spiritual lessons but to help my cellmate and witness his healing.” You gotta read this story to get all the lessons. Check out www.spirituality.com after October 1 to read it online.

See, I am in a situation right now that has felt like I landed in a foreign place. Not like going to jail, but I have had a sense of feeling trapped, for sure. There are major challenges to be overcome in this particular organization that I volunteer for and it has been stressful. I have been praying persistently and addressing each issue as they appear — but every day for weeks it has felt like a new surprise, bigger and worse than before, appears.

Now, there has definitely been progress…but it seems like a major struggle to overcome each one. “Why am I here?” has been a constant lament…but everytime I think that, there is this little voice that says, “You know why you are here…to bear witness to the Christ.” Which must be true because I feel like the only valuable contribution I am making is my constant prayer.

But sheesh, I have been feeling so burdened by it. A friend was sitting across from me at one of our meetings last week and said, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like the morgue!” It actually woke me up…where is my joy in bearing witness for the Christ?

So, I have been praying to know that no one and no thing can take away the inherent joy I have as God’s beloved child. “Thou shalt not steal” is a commandment to mortal mind: thou shalt not steal my joy.

When I read this story by Doug this morning, it was like a confirmation of what I have been struggling against. I have been fighting even BEING in this place, regardless of bearing witness to what God knows to be true about the situation. I am right where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to be doing, and that is to see that God’s government over all human activity is supreme, is harmonious, is blessed. There is joy in this.

No egos in the room

Phew…I have been a bit overwhelmed recently by the effects of many egos in a room…pick a room, any room in some of the activities I work with. In all of these cases, the intention is not to be destructive, but it is a heavy dose of “my way or the highway.” In other words, human agendas, opinions and wills.

The problem is that many of these agendas are based on fear or panic, which leads to faulty reasoning. “Many egos in the room” is another way of saying that there are many minds in operation that have to be dealt with, managed, avoided, maneuvered, etc.

I know of only one way to succeed in a situation like this. Look to the one Ego, the one Mind for inspiration, support and guidance.

“There is but one I, or Us, but one divine Principle, or Mind, governing all existence…All the objects of God’s creation reflect one Mind, and whatever reflects not this one Mind, is false and erroneous…” (Science and Health)

This divine Principle is Love, the Creator of all being who wants and gives only good to Her creation. This means good ideas, ideas that bless all and never harm a single living being.

As the Ego’s reflection, no one can actually be afraid of anything that would lead to bad ideas or actions. The starting point, then, is to be totally secure in the Ego’s love, protection and abundance of good. And that begins with me.

How am I seeing myself and my ideas? Am I seeing myself as the reflection of all that is good in the Divine? Or am I just one of the fearful egos in the room? When I clearly and firmly identify myself as a reflection of the divine Ego, and see my fellow man as the same reflection, then all that can be in my experience — in the room — is an abundance of ideas that are peace, joy, safety, confidence, harmony. No egos in the room, only good ideas.

Basically, this means that I have to eliminate my fear and my will or agenda of how things should be done. My purpose in life is to do God’s will: love the Divine supremely so that I reflect only Her qualities, AND love my neighbor as myself….see that my neighbor can only reflect these qualities too.

When this is done (I am working on it!), then all I can hear is God’s voice in the form of inspired ideas that result in good for everyone. Hey, this also means that I can recognize and support the good ideas that God is communicating to others too!

Hmmm, I just thought — this is an example of unselfish and unconditional giving. All ideas that come from God are meant to be shared completely, to bless, uplift, inspire.

There is only one Ego in any room, filling it with the light of love, peace and good will.

The only coincidence in life

In the middle of the night I woke up — don’t know why — but decided to use the time to pray. I started making this my nocturnal habit several years ago when one of my spiritual mentors suggested it. “Somebody in the world,” she said,  “needs your prayers right at this moment.” That puts some urgency to it, eh?

Last night what came to me was a phrase from Science and Health: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.” I have grown up with this statement as it is printed in big letters in almost every Church of Christ, Scientist I have attended.

Isn’t this the most comforting statement about the ever-active and ever-presence of God’s love for each and every one of us? And no matter how I felt coming in to church, seeing this statement on the wall — and believing it to be true — would give me hope.

So I am very familiar with this statement. But in the quiet and stillness of last night, I got a new insight. What I realized is that this statement of God’s law illustrates  the coming together of the spiritual fact and the human experience. This is what Mary Baker Eddy describes as the human and divine coincidence.

John saw the human and divine coincidence, shown in the man Jesus, as divinity embracing humanity in Life and its demonstration,–reducing to human perception and understanding the Life which is God.

Ooooooh, “divinity embracing humanity” in every good activity, every day. This is how we perceive and understand the all power of God. Not in some ethereal way, but in a practical, hands-on experiential way. (Hmmm, it just hit me that not only do individuals need this evidence, God needs us to know this so that we can know Him!)

This coincidence is not chance or capriciousness or fluke. This is the law of spiritual being that everyone can rely on. It is the assurance of every divinely-led cause having a positive effect in one’s actual experience.

What’s important to know, however, that the realm of the spirit is in thought, not in physical activities. So what happens before the physical effect conforms to harmony is one’s thought aligned (conforming) with the Divine consciousness: thoughts of goodness, compassion, purity, selflessness. When any thoughts unlike God are eliminated, replaced by what is good and right, thought is now open and receptive to divine ideas. These ideas guide us to right actions, to create new programs, to connect with helpful people — whatever needs adjusting from inharmony to harmony.

The “divine embracing humanity” is the law of coincidence or agreement/meeting between God and each of His children. Simply look to Divine Love for inspiration and you will feel and see Love’s effect in your life.

Life guidance

I have been thinking lately about the work transitions I have had that have been most meaningful. And the most interesting thing about each of them — the common denominator actually — is that they were (initially) unplanned, unappealing and unwanted. But they each turned out to be the best experience (at that stage in my life) and the most rewarding.

Here’s another common denominator: these experiences required me to dig deep into my spiritual study and development in order to overcome the many challenges. What comes first, the challenge or the deep study? I kind of think it is like a metaphorical staircase where the study to find peace in a particular challenge actually prepares you for a bigger, ummm, opportunity.

My favorite spiritual author, Mary Eddy Baker,  writes in a sermon “…Heaven’s favors are formidable: they are calls to higher duties, not discharge from care…”

I remember reading this several years ago and thinking “Huh?! You mean there is no break, no relief, no coasting?” When I finally realized that the whole point of living is to understand who God is and my relationship with Him (my spiritual development), then I changed my thinking. I didn’t WANT a break from that or coast into placid, calm waters that weren’t taking me anywhere.

One of my biggest challenges was getting involved in web development well before few people really knew what the web was all about. This was in the days when it took a LOT of money and newly-formed expertise to get a website going. We gave it our best shot, but it was uphill all the way. I prayed for spiritual guidance constantly — and many of my prayers were, “Please God take me out of this! I don’t want to do it anymore!”

I listened every day for spiritual ideas, which did come. None of them, by the way, were even remotely related to “You are out of here!”. In fact, the ideas were leading me into more web work. I learned more as everyone in the field was learning. And gently, gently, I was led into new career opportunities that incorporated everything I had learned in my whole career to that point: Advertising, Marketing, Web.
Then, out of the blue, I was offered a job on the East Coast. Not just any job…it was for an organization and mission that I am totally committed to.

Oh no! I thought…I had just reached the point of (what I thought was) life perfection: great job in San Francisco, great place to live, great life. I knew there was no choice but to take it — to leave everything I thought was happiness. But a wonderful thing happened: as I prayed for peace about this decision, I heard an “angel message”: The God who gave you all this happiness here in San Francisco has even more happiness for you in store. Why would the experience be anything less? Of course.

After several months it was so clear to me that this move and this work was what I had been preparing for all my life. And then an even more wonderful thing happened. I was asked to develop a website on spirituality, a virtual gathering place for all readers of Science and Health to share ideas, evidence of healing, and questions of each other.

Oh! NOW I knew why I was needed to learn about web development…to prepare for this incredibly enriching work. This web work was better than anything I had imagined before…because it blessed so many people around the world.

Now I am praying about another opportunity…another challenge that I am not rushing toward .  But I have to be firm in knowing that everything I do is about God’s business, His will, which is to love Him with all my heart…and to love and serve my fellow man.

I was reading a Bible verse today from I Corinthians:

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

The Message Bible interprets this passage like this:

God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit.

All good and positive activity is in God’s kingdom and is blessed by Him. So, whatever I do when my motive is to do good for my fellow man, God directs. Happiness must come with this.