Oct 05, 2014

Pondering’s

How do we put ourselves in a place where abundance is present in our lives? Well, there are many ways, but I can only talk of the path I have followed for almost 50 years. This is the path that not only led me to abundance, but led me to understand what Abundance truly is.

 

I have found that to walk a path where I find myself seemingly filled with bliss for no outward reason, where the light seems brighter, where things seem to happen like miracles everyday, where joy fills my being much of the time, requires practice. It requires time, it requires learning skills until they become automatic. It requires a willingness and a desire to walk this path.

I have tried to spend about an hour a day, every day, on some type of spiritual presence for almost 50 years. I have learned that there are many ways to turn our attention outside of ourselves. It can be in meditation, it can be in reading, it can be in exercise, it can be in driving, it can be listening to enriching music (whatever that means to you), it can be taking a walk, it can be laughing with the kids or others, it can even be in prayer!

What makes an event a spiritual event? It all lies in the intention that we have going into that event. Without that intention, no matter what the event appears on the outside, such as appearing to be in prayer for the purpose of appearing to be in prayer, is a waste of time, in fact, it is a negative. Intention is the key for something to be spiritual. Not an action, but the intention of an event. A spiritual event is spiritual because a person intends that it be spiritual, where a person has an intention to bring God to that event consciously, so that Joy and Love are there. God is rarely mentioned in most of these events, but the essence of God, Love, is present and flowing over all.

I recall periods in my life where I was not, in any way, in a spiritual mood or in a God centered thinking process. But simply because I had made the internal promise that I would read and pray for a given time, that is an hour, each day, I would read, pray as I could, and read some more. I would walk out to my car with my lunch in a bag, sit in the car, read and think, if I could, about what I read. Sometimes I could not even think, so I would re-read what I had before me, and just DO it. That is all, just DO it. Read the paragraph or page over and over, think over and over, but just spend the time, no matter how bland it seems at the time, just spend the effort and time.

And you know what happened? Those hours just spent DOING the action, even if I seemingly got nothing out of that time, saved my life. When those moments of depression, and yes that was depression, went away, I found my self not just surviving but a notch higher in moments of feeling the Presence. I found myself more eager to continue the process; I was able to read or reread books and understand them at new levels, able to hear others and understand their pain and joy they were feeling.

Now usually these low periods did not last long, but once they lasted for several years. But I persevered in my hourly process during that time, and learned that God is always there, whether we can feel the Presence or not is of no matter. Eventually the process won, and now the sense of the Divine is present almost all the time, day or night. When I wake up in the middle of the night (and one of joys of aging is the frequency of waking during the night increases), I always feel the Presence of God within and around me.

But I did not have to wait 50 years for God to bring me abundance. I mentioned when I described events of 40 years or even 70 years ago that God was filling my life with abundance, from a very young age to now, over 75 years that I can remember. God is always willing to give, but is waiting to be asked from our soul. The universe, that is, God, is always filling our lives with our deepest desires, usually unknown to ourselves. The universe is always responding to our quest in life, no matter how it seems. Part of our task is to let that quest from our souls become more conscious, with our openness to God become more central to our life.

Abundance is always, and only, internal to our very being. “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all else will be given to you.” These words define abundance in its essence. The hour a day I have spent, despite what was going on, shaped my feelings and knowledge of abundance, forward and backward in time. I did not ask God for money, or anything in particular, but for the ability to be The Presence of God to others in this life. It is intention that sets the framework for all to bring the Joy of God into our life, and it is intention that let’s God, the Eternal Wisdom, work through our very beings to our world.

Let me repeat that. “Abundance” stems from the internal of our very being. Jesus defined Abundance: “Seek first the kingdom of God: then all else will be given you”. And Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within“, so what is more abundant than the Kingdom of God? Abundance is within. If we feel filled with abundant love of God, then we are truly overflowing with abundance. When we feel filled with abundance, all else we need will be granted us, without asking, seeking, or even desiring.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am no Master. I still desire a comfortable life, I still like the nice things. Much to my surprise, I have more nice things than I ever thought I would have. I am constantly amazed how comfortable we are in life at this stage. We are surrounded by beauty, we both have fairly good health, and we have a strong zest for life. But I see, fully, that abundance is part of the basic fruits of living a life where “seeking the kingdom of God” has been a center of our lives for at least 50 years consciously. And we have found, truly, “all else has been given to us”.

So, how does one start? Do you have to wait 50 years to see results? No! Start “seeking the kingdom of God” today, and God will respond today. But do not stop seeking, for the response will not occur unless the quest for the kingdom is on-going. Spend time setting intention, spend time filling your mind and heart with blessed words, spend time in silence listening for the whisper of God, then do it all over again. And then again, each day. Even when there seems to be no response. There are many many many books to read that can fill your being with light. I might recommend the nine Conversation With God books, starting with “The Only Thing That Matters”, then book 1 of the original three books of “Conversation With God”. Even 15 minutes reading each day brings light into the darkness, let’s the Shadow be free, calms the demons that exist in each of us. Take a walk in the woods, or around the block. Play with children to see God shining forth.

There are almost an infinite number of ways to place oneself into the Presence of God. Just DO it.

And God will bring you Abundance, overflowing, filling all there is, evermore. Until you pass into the exciting realm of the Absolute, and then get to do it all over again.

Meditation

Thank you my Eternal Wisdom, my Anchor, You Who brings me peace and joy in life. You have shown us that Life is eternal, death is but a passage into the next step of living, and all we truly wish is part of our very being if we only look inward. Thank you for showing us the kingdom that lies within, ours for just asking and opening our inner eyes to the Truth. You give us the Light that reveals our shadow, brings the shadow into the light, so that we can live in the light amidst Abundance. And thank you for showering me with Abundance all of my life.