Brown Paper Wrappings

We are often so enthusiastic to prove the God can't possibly hear our prayers with everyone else praying at the same time. I am guilty of this myself. I sometimes double dog dare God to show me the proof . I start looking at every little detail just waiting for the evidence of answered prayer. I end up looking so hard that I miss the actual miracle. We all do it...don't be shy.

This journey that I'm on (and loving) has taught me a few things along the way. Things like "not my time but Gods time". A while back I struggled with feelings of guilt that I was abandoning my faith by meditation and doing "buddhist" rituals. I felt like I was getting a lot of good out of them but I still struggled with the "I should be" of my upbringing. I've long since given up trying to find a church that I fit in with, the meets my requirements and spiritual needs. I am a firm believer that my body is a temple, therefore the communication I do with God from inside is sufficient. And yes, you'd be right to ask if that believe is the direct opposite of my upbringing. Sadly I've seen really good churches go to hell (metaphorically) as it fills with really mean and evil people who claim to love the Lord and faithfully worship every Sunday and then go home afterwards and kick the cat and beat the wife and kids. I've seen pastors who seems as if they were deer caught in the headlights of fame and did little to nothing to nurture the flock before him (or her). I truly believe that this is not what Jesus intended when he asked us to worship with others ("Where one or more of you....there am I also"). But I digress........

I struggled with the confusions of the "I should be" until I read an article about the Dali Lama. In this article he put to words the feelings that I had: (paraphrased): "I don't need to go to a building or temple to worship God. He is in all things and my body is my temple. Communing with God is personal and so I sit and meditate on God and his blessings. That's all I need" What a brilliant way of expressing the personal relationship each of us has with God (or whatever word fits for you). I don't need to dare him to make a miracle I just need to BE the miracle (stolen from Bruce Almighty). The mere fact that each of you reading this actually have eyes to see with and brains to ponder with is a miracle. If we are so busy trying to see the big miracles, like say the parting of the red sea, we miss out of the other more "ordinary" miracles and this is what mindfulness meditation is all about .Being in the moment, the here and now. For instance........

Two days ago (Friday) and again on Saturday I was able to do my Yoga on the floor for the first time. I was able to get down and back up again all on my own. No biggie?My knees have got from clicking and popping and he occasional misstep to completely being locked and unable to extend more then 10%. I am nearly immobile and use a desk chair and wheel chair to get around the house and outside. So YES it's a fairly big deal when I am able to do something that I have for 3 years only wished I could do and not fall. The message that I learned from that was that I can push through anything no mater how hard it seems or how scared I am I can push through it. Those, those are the little brown paper wrappers. Miracles don't have to be thunderous, they don't always get sent UPS but rather USPS. They often don't announce themselves before they arrive. Sometimes they show up and sckooch under your butt and help lift you from the floor to the chair.

Ok, so I can hear some of you asking: are you going to try to get me to believe in God now? Nope! And here's why. We are all interconnected and when one of us make a personal change or has what Oprah calls a "Bing Bing" or "Ah Ha" moment we forever change those around us. The vibration or energy we send out through the ethereal strands that connect us shimmer like diamonds as the reach and branch out to be shared with everyone.Just look at a spider's web after rain. You don't have to believe in God because you already are God. Everyone of us has the potential for greatness. Some of us are still waiting for the sign to start and some of us are nervously entering the shallow end while others are jumping off the high dive screaming with joy and excitement. Every thought, prayer that you and I utter, every moment of joy, compassion, bliss and peace that you and I experience will affect you and you and you and you and me in some mind altering way just wait and see. But don't look too hard or you might miss it......trust me, this is too great to miss!