Our Spiritual Connections

The Spiritual Life  

The more we live a spiritual life, the more we can engage in our world and all its faults. We deepen our spiritual life through more silence and more listening. There are so many religious sects that teach mediation that more people are using silence to enrich their lives. This silence allows them to hear the word of God; this silence is also important when we listen to others, rather than try to plan our response. Listening to what others say invites us to truly understand them. Planning what we are going to say, eliminates both of these possibilities. I know that I am much more comfortable in conversation, when I listen. And, being a prayer minister, I listen carefully. Otherwise, I could not be effective in my pray offering.

Eberhard Arnold encourages us to have patience; this helps us in our relationship with God and all those around us. It opens up a world of beauty and vitality to enjoy and cherish. These are parts of God’s blessings, if we take the time, if we have patience to listen.

Listening to God allows our trust in God to grow; this trust will also grow with others. We are much surer of ourselves when we are silent and listen. The more assured we are, the more relaxed we are, aids us in handing our own problems, big or small. We are, in fact, more confident.

As I meditate this morning, I cannot help praying for those in need. I have a good friend from high school who is near death; his death will be a blessing to him, and, I hesitate to say, his family. I cannot be near him and his family at this time, but I know through prayer, I am sitting with them in his hospice room.

I also pray for all people and animals who are suffering from hurricane Florence. What these beings are experiencing is tragic, and in many cases, the people will need months, if not years, to recover. This does not touch upon the psychological issues they may suffer for years.

I can understand how you might think these subjects coincide with our spiritual life; well, I can only say that it is through our spiritual lives that se connect with these people.

I have experience death in my family. It is a time of sorrow, but it is also a time of praise and joy. I am one who truly believes that when a person dies, he or she returns home. Although I miss the people around me who have died, I am joyful for their happiness.

I have not experienced being ruined by a hurricane but have lived through them while in the Marines in North Carolina, and I have lived through the financial devastation of a business that failed during my recovery from an auto accident. I remember how destroyed financially and psychologically I felt at the time. And, occasionally, I have dreams about my business failing while I was revering. I both sympathize and empathize with these victims, but I also know that due to our spiritual connections, and their spiritual connections will others, they will recover. They will need help, and they will receive help, hopefully. I also pray that they have a prayer community for close-at-hand spiritual support.

I also am comforted by the fact that they, too, can turn to God for spiritual support.

I pray for all my distant families through God. May they find comfort in God’s love and the love of their families and friends.