I once went to a healing retreat to “hear God’s voice” and left disappointed with no sacred voices speaking to me. But to my surprise, on the way home a thought popped into my head “When Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” and I realized the great truth of this old saying. I was not happy, which affected everyone around me. Who says that “God’s voice” has to be what we expect it to be in terms of beyond-the-ordinary?
Then I had to think seriously about how to foster happiness when one does NOT feel happy. No easy task.
What can we do to coax a sense of warmth into our hearts when our attitudes are definitely not in sync with Thanks-giving? I have had to practice and slowly work toward changing my attitude which affects everyone else’s attitude. It is an ongoing struggle. Learning to be grateful for just one thing, every day, until I could begin to be thankful for two things, then three. I found that practicing this was one of the things that helped focus my heart on becoming whole.
This and strongly focusing on what would help me “find myself” began a journey that is still in-process. It changed the learning curve, you might say. Up until that day I had expected to find God and healing in the traditional sense of “holiness” rather than in the ordinary. I did not expect both. But then, why does God have to operate within an either/or framework? Why not both/and? Like the double helix of DNA? Why does God have to have a framework at all? I wonder. Love does not function on concrete terms.
To me, this explains the concept of Grace. Beyond understanding. It is simply a gift. Like hearing an old saying that reminds us of the stories of our hearts. Like God’s Voice, not to be ignored but wondered at and then explored. The adventure is the journey. When we begin life starts again. Thanks-giving is simply along the way.
(c) 2011 Janine C. Hagan, Spiritual Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.