Rev. Sheila Johnson
Peaceful Mind, Peaceful World Series, (Part 5 of 8)
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Rev. Sheila Johnson
Peaceful Mind, Peaceful World Series, (Part 5 of 8)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Rev. David McArthur
4/13/14 Rev. David McArthur
The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 6. Ask & Appreciate
We have been hurt. We feel we’re not ok, not good enough. We have loss by death, and the death of dreams. It hurts. We’ve hurt others. We carry that pain too. And when we say “There is only one presence and one power, the all-loving goodness of God”, a part of us says, “I doubt it”.This part says God isn’t good all the time. But we say it not because at that point we believe it to be true, we say it to take and move our attention away from what’s too difficult, too draining, too hurtful for us to live in, and start heading in a different direction. I wanted it to be true when I first experienced deep pain; I asked to know. I saw the presence of a God of infinite love, that the pain I carried was immersed in love. And it healed. Now it took me a while to understand that there was present a love that could heal me and free me, and that what I had experienced was only the goodness of God.
Over the past weeks I have shared with you the steps of the HeartMath tool called CutThru. The steps are a cascade of heart feelings and energies, a single flow to a point of wholeness. Each step is a powerful spiritual tool in it’s own right, but they lead us to where we soak the pain in the love that is within us. It brings the healing. The first step: embrace your pain. What love it is to look at that part of us that is so hurt and say yes, you are there. Next, turn on the power of your spiritual being through your heart: breathe love. It opens us to this flow, this infinite power and transformative energy within the universe. Once you are in that powerful spiritual place, step up to the eagle view and see what is there. Tremendous wisdom within brings clarity. It is the descent of light into darkness. From there pull the feelings into the heart and hold them there in neutral. Not finding them good or bad, not needing to suppress them nor empower them. Then soak them in love through compassion for yourself. An amazing thing happens—the self, in its pain for so long, begins to experience peace. It heals. Sometimes it’s the first time you do it; sometimes the tenth. Then you ask for the wisdom and guidance that is there. This isn’t a guidance technique, it is a healing focus. But sometimes when I go there and I ask, Spirit begins to show me how to make changes.
To complete it, to let it move deep into the cells and anchor within, use the power of appreciation. Say yes, this is now my reality. I am whole. I am no longer the instrument of pain. I am the instrument of love. Receive it with open-hearted gratitude and appreciation. I am grateful. I am grateful. I am grateful. Let it move deep deep into your consciousness.
Picture the whale that was so entangled in fishing nets it was surely going to drown. For hours divers cut each rope with great care until finally the whale was free. In it’s freedom, it circled the divers many times, then went to each one and touched him, “I am grateful.” And the next, “I am grateful.” To each one, “I am grateful.” And it went away, free. We’re going away free, acknowledging the deep deep deep gratitude on our hearts for this love, this power that brings us to whole. I don’t begin to understand, but I know it’s there, and I know it’s real, and I am grateful. Join me, I am grateful. I am grateful. I am grateful. Whatever it is, there is a power and presence in you that is pure radiant love. It is wholeness, and it brings forth its wholeness within us. And for that, in my life, and in yours, I am grateful!
4/6/14 Rev. David McArthur
The Heart’s Path to Freedom: 5. Love Soak
We have been getting ready to enter a place with great creative power and energy where Spirit frees. The steps we’ve taken are 1) Embrace the feelings we have. They are the emotional markers which point to where we need to heal. Then connect with our power by 2) Breathing Love. It lifts us to where we see the patterns in our lives that we have been tripping over. This is divine objectivity, or 3) Spiritual Understanding. In step 4) Heart Neutral, we hold our feelings in our hearts in neutral. They’re not good, not bad. It is not the time for us to to do anything with them but step back and let Spirit be active in us.
The real fun is step, 5) Love Soak. Give yourself a hug! It feels good. Let it fill you until there is no pain, until Spirit within calls it into wholeness.
Victoria was a classmate of mine in ministerial school. Upon graduation, the committee that grants ordination told her no, that she was “too childish” to be a minister. Afterward there were tears and blame, but she knew it was due to something inside her, a block that she had pursued for years, that caused her to respond with childishness whenever she felt threatened. So she followed the 5 steps, and let that love in. It lifted her to where she could see the pattern in her life of using her “pretty little girl” whenever she felt fear. She saw the need in her that the “little girl” stood for. She poured her love on it. It didn’t matter what “Little Vickie” had done, what mattered was that Vickie loved her. That which carried the pain began to heal. What came through was the true peace of the being she was. She went back to the committee, and has been a successful minister now for over 30 years.
Thich Nhat Hahn says, “It’s like a mother, when the baby is crying, she picks up the baby and she holds the baby tenderly in her arms. Your pain, your anxiety is your baby.” You must care for it. We have become trapped in emotional constraints that keep us from functioning, that keep us weighed down. Let’s heal that baby till it doesn’t hurt at all. It takes a while to let it soak in, but this is how you heal yourself, how you take the plank out of your own eye. Let that amazing power of spirit heal. We can heal everything. Take just 10 minutes when that certain feeling comes up. Soak it in love.
What we find at the end is that it’s really true—Love is what it’s all about!
Rev. David McArthur