Spiritual Solutions

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

The other day I got to thinking about Bobby, a friend I knew when I was just a boy. His parents were of modest means and they lived in a tiny stone row house in a little village just a few miles from where I lived.

Several years ago on a visit back to England, my mother happened to mention that Bobby Kitchener, this same young red-headed friend I had known, had become a minister. I remember my astonishment that our lives had taken similar paths, albeit in different countries.

Our lives may take many turns, and the world is full of people who have stopped in their tracks, turned about and become quite different persons. So now you probably want to know, “How can I, an ordinary person, turn about and lead a more satisfactory life?”

Sometimes just a little thing can bring us to a standstill, and it causes us to call upon all the resources of our being to lift us out of the pit of failure and despair.

To be driven into a corner, out of which there seems no escape, is often the turning point. “I’ll find a way,” the person thinks, “I’ll not be beaten. There’s nothing to lose, so I’ll try something new. Perhaps I’ll even turn about and win.” So this person who was living in the shadows finds himself on the road to achievement, and he becomes a different person. He is now courageous rather than fearful; he has turned around.

Provision has been made for our turning around, if only we would recognize that it is possible. But if things are not like we would want them to be then we must turn our efforts in a new direction. Don’t talk about the things in your life that you don’t want, or about the things you want to accomplish – the negative doubts of your listeners may add to your concerns.

Do not draw back when a new experience confronts you. The new experience may be your call to a changed life. Those who cling to safe, old, familiar things will never know the thrill of new adventure.

If you want to turn about and start a new life, you must let go of anger and resentment or wailing over the past. Forget the things that are behind and go forward to the things you most desire. Bring excitement and imagination to whatever you do and new doors will open for you.

Yours, in love and confidence,

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham 

Here’s a thought-provoking blog post from Karl at www.karlblog.com

——————————— 

The world is an interesting place.

All around we find people trying to change us. Make us different. Turn us into something that we’re not.

William Shakespeare said it best.

He wrote that God has given us a face, and we make ourselves another.

But here’s the great parody of life.

Only you truly know who you are - and only you can decide to do it authentically.

Judy Garland said: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

So, at least for today, heed my advice.

Don’t be the poet. Be the poem.

Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Originality, they say, is a by-product of sincerity.

And so if you can truly open yourself up to being yourself today, to truly claiming your own personality… then wonderful things might just happen.

Quite simply?

Be yourself.

And remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

There’s a story from when Charles Fillmore, co-founder of the Unity movement, was still alive and at Unity Village. It’s told that a young girl who was working there came to him and said, “Oh, Mr. Fillmore, I dreamed last night that I became so spiritual that I could fly.” He responded, “Well then, that’s all very well but are you so spiritual that you can pay the rent?”

Charles Fillmore was very focused on his Christianity being practical Christianity, on applying the truths of being to every aspect of our lives.

I want to share with you some of the prosperity truths that are recession, depression, and inflation proof. You will enjoy using them often. Let me share two with you now, starting with a quote from Charles Fillmore right here at the beginning. He says, in his book Prosperity, “The law of supply is a divine law. This means that it is a law of mind and must work through the mind.”

In other words, prosperity, health, well-being, all of those aspects of our life which we equate with prosperity, must come through our prosperous thinking. And our mind can be trained to think prosperously in simple and delightful ways that will bring satisfying and delightful results into our lives. <!–[if !vml]–>

Read the rest of this entry »

Alan Cohen brings us the following thought-provoking message:

A True Perfectionist

A friend of mine declared, “I used to think I was a perfectionist. I found the tiniest flaws in everything. Then I realized I was not a perfectionist at all; I was an imperfectionist! If I was a perfectionist, I would see perfection wherever I look.”

The life we experience is the product of the vision we use to interpret events. At any moment we can see through the eyes of appreciation or criticism. And we will see more of whatever we are focusing on. We master the game of life by finding good wherever we look. And there is much good to be found.

While having lunch with some business associates at an upscale restaurant, one of our party asked the waiter for an unusual dish not on the menu. The waiter replied that he would ask the chef to accommodate the request. Then another member of our group sarcastically commented, “I’ll bet that will just tweak the chef’s day!”

But the waiter did not flinch. “Actually,” he replied smoothly, “I’m sure he will be glad to accommodate you — this gives him a chance to shine.”

Every situation gives us a chance to shine, if we recognize our power as creative spirits. No situation is any one way, except what we make it. You can make anything out of anything. So why not make it perfect?

The story is told about a man who was walking along a city street when a flowerpot fell off a sill above him and crashed at his feet, missing him by inches. There are four paths of response the man might take. First, the path of knee-jerk reaction: he would yell a curse toward the window or perhaps dash up the stairs, find the owner, and punch him out. Second, the path of the victim: this experience would confirm his belief that the world is out to get him, and he would go about the rest of his day protecting himself from evil, retelling his story many times. Third, the path of detachment: he would rationalize that this was his karma, do nothing, and just keep walking. Finally, the path of love: he would go to the flower store on the corner, buy a new plant, and deliver it to the person whose plant had been blown off the sill by the wind.

Shakespeare declared, “There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” We see the world not as it is, but as we are. Changing the world is not about setting it right, but seeing it right. If you believe the world is broken and you need to fix it, you will find more and more things broken. If you see the world as whole and beautiful, you will find more and more things to celebrate.

Ram Dass noted there are three kinds of people: those who say, “not enough!”; those who say, “too much!”; and those who say, “ah, just right!” Actually, there are just two kinds of people, for “too much” of one thing is really “not enough” of another. We are continuously choosing between affirmation and resistance.

Does seeing perfection mean we are to simply be passive observers and sit around and do nothing? Not at all. Perfection includes the process of changing, growing, expanding, improving, and moving ahead. But our actions to improve do not proceed from an attitude of pushing against lack. They proceed from a sense that things are already good, and wouldn’t it be a delightful adventure to make them better? The true perfectionist creates effective change by seeing the highest possibilities and becoming so excited about them, that conditions must rise to match the vision.

Several years ago while I was walking through the Los Angeles airport, I felt annoyed by the massive construction going on. I saw ugly makeshift plywood walls to my left and right, a maze of paint-laden scaffolds, and long winding detours to baggage claim. I grumbled to myself about what a mess the place was, and how long it was taking to fix it. Then I discovered a sign that stopped me in my tracks. It was an artist’s rendering of what the airport would look like when the construction was complete. It was magnificent! The glass atrium roofs, sleek marbled corridors, and potted palms were a delight to behold — a far cry from the current mess. Then I relaxed. If that is what this is leading to, I thought, then I am glad they are doing it. When I dropped my resistance, I enjoyed the process, including the construction phase.

The entire universe is in a construction phase, never totally complete as it is, but always perfect as it unfolds. When you appreciate the beauty as you go, you become a true perfectionist.

About the Author:

Alan Cohen is the author of many popular inspirational books, including the best-selling Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can Do About It, the award-winning A Deep Breath of Life and his newest is the prosperity guide Relax into Wealth.

To receive Alan’s free daily inspirational quote and monthly newsletter, visit www.alancohen.com or email info@alancohen.com. For information and a free catalog of Alan’s books, tapes, and seminars, phone 800.568.3079 or write P.O. Box 835, Haiku, HI 96708.

A special footnote to remember from Alan’s message above:

Notice his last paragraph, which says, “The entire universe is in a construction phase, never totally complete as it is, but always perfect as it unfolds. When you appreciate the beauty as you go, you become a true perfectionist.”

You can apply this to your own life too. You, personally, are also in a construction phase, never totally complete as you are, but always perfect as you unfold. When you appreciate your own beauty and true worth as you go, you become a true perfectionist.

Remember to look at yourself, others, and your world, through eyes of love and appreciation rather than criticism. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

————————————————

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-six years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions or go directly to the Spiritual Solutions Blog

If you’d like to receive weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words

To make a donation to “Spiritual Solutions,” just go to Send a Love Offering and it will take you to a simple form you can use. Thank you - I am very grateful for your generosity!

——————————————————————————

There is possibly no more important work we can do than soul work. Iyanla Vanzant gives us in the following excerpt from her book, One Day My Soul Just Opened Up, a powerful example of soul work that can make a difference in your own life experience today. Enjoy!

The woman’s eyes flew open. There were at least twenty birds sitting around her, screeching at each other. She looked around, and the rest of the park was empty. Halfheartedly, with a flinging gesture of her hands, the woman shooed the birds away. Some left. Some remained. Those who remained became very quiet, until she closed her eyes.

It seemed as if the second she closed her eyes, the birds started screeching again. Quite annoyed, the woman got up and moved. The birds flew away. Upon finding another prime spot of grass, the woman sat down to begin the process all over again. As soon as she did, the birds came back.

“This is ridiculous!” the woman said to the birds. “Shoo! Shoo! Go on! Get out of here!” The birds flew a little higher, but in a seeming act of defiance, they continued to squawk. Totally pissed off with the birds for disturbing her peace, the woman stood up and began to chase the birds. She would run to the left, and fling her blanket at them. The birds would fly away, but they wouldn’t shut up. As soon as she cleared those on the left, a new crew arrived to her right. Changing directions, she would shoo them away. They would circle her, squawking, and swoop down a few feet away.

Within moments, the woman was flinging her arms around like a lunatic, screaming at the birds who were squawking back at her. Realizing how crazy she must have looked, she snatched her blanket from the ground and stormed out of the park.

Later that evening the woman had an opportunity to relate her experience in the park to her guru, her teacher. Her exasperation returned even in the midst of telling the story. The guru smiled and asked, “Why did you not welcome them to join you?” “How was I supposed to do that?” she asked. “Om Nama Shiva,” the Guru responded, “which means, ‘I surrender to Shiva (meaning the God) within me.’”

A few days later the woman went back to the park. She went through the entire process again. The moment she became still, the birds began to sing. As soon as she heard them, she mentally affirmed, “Om Nama Shiva.” The birds began to squawk. “Om Nama Shiva.” It began to sound as if every bird in the state had converged on the very spot where she was sitting.

She never opened her eyes. She continued to breathe deeply, affirming louder and louder in her mind, “Om Nama Shiva. Om Nama Shiva! OM NAMA SHIVA!” She thought the words faster and louder. So fast and loud in fact that she became so mentally exhilarated that she stopped. It was then that she noticed the silence. Either the birds had flown away or simply shut up. She did not open her eyes to determine which had occurred.

Why is it that we will walk into a room of screaming children and yell at the top of our lungs, “BE QUIET!”? If you want peace, be peace. My grandson Oluwa, age five, is afflicted with a common childhood ailment. He cannot speak below 100 decibels. He yells as if he secretly believes that everyone in the room is hard of hearing.

One day someone in the family (due to threats of being sued for slander, I cannot reveal who) became so frustrated with him that they yelled, “Will you please be quiet!” Other people present in the room chimed in by screaming, “Thank you!” His silence lasted for about three minutes. His next comment was made at the usual ear-piercing level.

If you want peace, be peaceful. Because I am the wise old granny, I have learned to take a completely different approach. When Oluwa screams at me, I crouch down to his level, put my nose directly up against his nose, smile, and whisper, “I can’t hear you. You are talking too loud.” He didn’t get it at first, but I would stay there, staring at him eyeball to eyeball, until he lowered his voice. Now when Oluwa approaches me, he usually whispers so softly I must ask him to repeat himself. He and everyone else in the family still seem to have a problem hearing one another. I watch them, and I smile.

If you want to experience peacefulness, you must begin from a posture of peace. One word of caution: Be prepared to stay in that posture for as long as it takes.
 

About the Author:
 Iyanla Vanzant is an ordained minister, an internationally recognized spiritual teacher, and a best-selling author. As chief executive officer of Inner Visions Worldwide at the Spiritual Life Maintenance Center in Maryland, she conducts workshops and gives over 100 public lectures annually. Iyanla also heads a nationwide correspondence prison ministry with more than 1,500 members. She lives near Annapolis, Maryland, with her husband Adeyemi. http://www.innervisionsworldwide.com/

—————————————————————————-

For an audio message on the subject of soul work, compliments of Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, go to the Unity Word for the Week at www.alanrowbotham.com

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

————————————————

If you’d like to receive weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words

To make a donation to “Spiritual Solutions,” just go to Send a Love Offering and it will take you to a simple form you can use. Thank you - I am very grateful for your generosity!

——————————————————————————

Don’t take my word for it . . .

Decide whether the Messenger Mini-Book Program is right for you based on what past participants have experienced . . .

You are invited to join the next group of authors from around the world in a 90-day journey to write and self-publish your own Messenger Mini-Book.

On Wednesday, October 15, at 9 pm EST, Robert Evans will be on a conference line to talk about the program and answer any questions you may have. (This call was changed from 12 noon to 9 pm EST. It will also be recorded if you would rather listen to it later.) No need to register – here’s the information you need to join the call:

Dial-in Number: 712-432-1600

Access Code: 588994#

Click the link below for more information, to hear previous info calls, and to view a PDF document full of testimonials and sharings of past participants. Read 10 pages of true sharings and then decide whether this program is right for you and whether it is time for you to embrace the Messenger Author within YOU!

www.authorin90days.com

The following article by Ram Dass reminded me of the series we have just completed on The Practice of the Presence of God, where Brother Lawrence often speaks of taking things in one’s stride, no matter what, and keeping the focus on God’s presence, even of seeing the particular condition as a blessing. In the same way, Ram Dass speaks of using the incident for our spiritual healing provided we learn to see through new eyes.

I especially enjoyed this excerpt from his book since, as senior minister of First Unity Church, I had the opportunity to have Ram Dass speak at our church and to feel the spiritual power emanating from this man after he experienced a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair. And to witness his compassion for others was amazing; after his presentation he invited people to come up to speak with him individually and he stayed until the very last person who wanted to speak to him personally. We started at 7:00 pm and didn’t leave there until after 1:00 am.

So enjoy this excerpt from his book:

I reached for my phone, on the table near my bed.

“R. D.? Are you there?”

I heard the voice of an old friend in Santa Fe. When I didn’t respond coherently, he asked, “Are you sick?” I suppose I still didn’t answer, so he said, “If you can’t speak, tap on the phone. Tap once for yes and twice for no.” When he asked whether I wanted help, I tapped “no” over and over again.

Nonetheless, he contacted my secretaries, who live close by, and the next thing I knew they rushed into the house and found me on the floor. There I was flat on my back, still caught in my “dream” of the very old man, who had now fallen down because his leg wouldn’t work. My assistants seemed very frightened; they called 911. My next recollection is of a group of young firemen, straight out of central casting, staring into the old man’s face while I observed the whole thing as if from a doorway to the side. I’m told I was immediately rushed to a hospital nearby, but all I remember is being rolled down the hospital corridors, looking up at the ceiling pipes and the concerned faces of nurses and friends. I was fascinated by what was happening.

Only afterward did I learn that I had a stroke and realize how close to death I had actually been. The doctors told my friends I had a massive cerebral hemorrhage, and only a ten percent chance of survival. I noticed the looks of deep concern on the faces of the doctors and my friends, but the thought of dying was nowhere in my mind, so I was perplexed by their grave expressions.

Three hospitals and hundreds of hours of rehabilitation later, I gradually eased into my new post-stroke life as someone in a wheelchair, partially paralyzed, requiring round-the-clock care and a degree of personal attention that made me uncomfortable. All my life I had been a “helper”; I had even collaborated on a book called “How Can I Help?” I now found myself forced to accept the help of others, and to admit that my body needed attention. Because I’d spent my adult life concentrating on the realms of the spirit, I’d always been able to rationalize the distance I maintained from my body by saying that my detachment was a spiritual witnessing of the physical form. But that had been only partly true. The truth is that I distanced myself from my body. I saw my body as merely a vehicle for the soul. I ignored it as much as possible and tried to spiritualize it away.

From a physical perspective, the lack of love I’d shown toward my body contributed to my stroke. I was negligent about taking my blood pressure medicine and, a month before the stroke, ignored an unusual one-side hearing loss while scuba diving in the Caribbean. Before the stroke, although I was in my 60’s, I saw myself as young and powerful, with my MG, golf clubs, surfing, and speaking gigs. Illness had shattered my self-image, and opened the door to a new chapter in my life.

After any major physical “insult,” as they call it, it’s all too easy to see yourself as a collection of symptoms rather than as a total human being, including your spirit — and thus to become your illness. Fear is powerful and contagious, and at first I allowed myself to catch it, worried that if I didn’t do what the doctors ordered, I’d be sorry. But now I’m learning to take my healing into my own hands. Healing is not the same as curing, after all; healing does not mean going back to the way things were before, but rather allowing what is now to move us closer to God.

For example, since my speech was severely impaired by this stroke, I considered not speaking publicly anymore, since the words came so slowly, but people insisted that my halting new voice enabled them to concentrate on the silence between the words. Now that I speak more slowly, people tend to finish my sentences for me, and thus to answer questions for themselves. Though I once used silence as a teaching method, it now arises without my control and allows for a sense of emptiness, an emptiness that listeners can use as a doorway to their inner quiet.

My guru once said to a visitor complaining about her suffering, “I love suffering. It brings me so close to God.” In this same way, I’ve learned that the incidents associated with aging — including this stroke — can be used for our spiritual healing, provided we learn to see through new eyes.

Although my outward life has been radically altered, I don’t see myself as a stroke victim. I see myself as a Soul who’s watching “him” experience the aftermath of this cerebral hemorrhage. Having accepted my predicament, I’m much happier than I was before. This troubles some of the people around me. They have told me that I should fight to walk again, but I don’t know if I wanted to walk. I’m sitting — that’s where I am. I’m peaceful like this and I am grateful to the people who care for me. Why is this wrong? Though I can now stand and move around with a walker, I’ve grown to love my wheelchair (I call it my swan boat) and being wheeled about by people who care. They carry Chinese emperors and Indian maharajas on palanquins; in other cultures, it’s a symbol of honor and power to be carried and wheeled. I don’t believe it’s all-important to be what our culture calls “optimal.”

Before the stroke I wrote a great deal about the terrible things that can happen in aging, and how to cope with them. Now I’m happy to say that having gone through what some would view as the worst, it’s not so bad after all.

Getting old isn’t easy for a lot of us. Neither is living, neither is dying. We struggle against the inevitable, and we all suffer because of it. We have to find another way to look at the whole process of being born, growing old, changing, and dying, some kind of perspective that might allow us to deal with what we perceive as big obstacles without having to be dragged through the drama. It really helps to understand that we have something — that we are something — which is unchangeable, beautiful, completely aware, and continues no matter what. Knowing this doesn’t solve everything — this is what I encountered and told about in “Be Here Now,” and I’ve still had my share of suffering. But the perspective of the soul can help a lot with the little things, and it is my hope that you’ll be able to take from this book some joy in being “still here.”

Recently, a friend said to me, “You’re more human since the stroke than you were before.” This touched me profoundly. What a gift the stroke has given me, to finally learn that I don’t have to renounce my humanity in order to be spiritual — that I can be both witness and participant, both eternal spirit and aging body. The book’s ending, which had eluded me, is now finally clear. The stroke has given me a new perspective to share about aging, a perspective that says, “Don’t be a wise elder, be an incarnation of wisdom.” That changes the whole nature of the game. That’s not just a new role; it’s a new state of being. It’s the real thing. At nearly seventy, surrounded by people who care for and love me, I’m still learning to be here now.

About the Author:

Ram Dass is a beloved spiritual figure, who teaches and promotes service in ecology, socially-conscious business practices, and care for the dying. His book “Be Here Now” is a great spiritual classic of the 20th century. http://ramdass.org 

——————————————————

God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

————————————————

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-six years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions or go directly to the Spiritual Solutions Blog

If you’d like to receive weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words

To make a donation to “Spiritual Solutions,” just go to Send a Love Offering and it will take you to a simple form you can use. Thank you - I am very grateful for your generosity!

——————————————————————————

In the midst of so much change in our country and in our world, I’d like to share with you an article written by my wife and fellow Unity minister, Kathryn, in the year 1975, when we and our ministry were in the midst of change. I think you might find it particularly meaningful for yourself in this present climate of change and uncertainty.

We had sold our little home in order to move into a large old Dutch Colonial house which was big enough to house our Unity of Roanoke Valley church office, with a classroom and kitchen, and to create an apartment for us upstairs.

Prior to this we had conducted our ministry out of our home, meeting in different places for our Sunday services and weekly classes, but we knew we needed to create a Unity church home if we were to grow our ministry. So we prevailed upon our board of trustees to lease the large house and then used our own money from the sale of our home, plus special gifts from church members, to purchase items with which to furnish the church office. And we made the move.

Here’s the article which was printed in the monthly newsletter in February, 1975:

LOVE NEVER CHANGES          

In the midst of change, one thing we can always depend upon is the unchanging love of God. The words of the Bible, “Underneath are the everlasting arms,” are a reminder to us that the principle of Truth underlies all conditions, all circumstances, and all relationships, and is the foundation upon which we can place our trust at all times.

Unity of Roanoke Valley is in the midst of change right now – and change means growth! Alan and I are also going through a change in our personal life with the sale of our beloved little cottage and the move into our new Unity home at 1830 Grandin Road.

As I pondered upon these changes, praying for guidance and divine order, the following Daily Word message was a comfort to me. Perhaps you, too, are facing a change or need to make a decision and will find comfort in these words:

“I meet change fearlessly. I press on to greater good.”

When we are facing some new situation, some change in our lives, we may have conflicting emotions. We may have looked forward to change, but when the time comes to make it, we may feel reluctant to leave the old behind, to take on the new.

This kind of reaction is not unusual, but it is on the surface only. In the deeper part of us we know there is nothing to fear. We feel the urge to go ahead. This is the Spirit of God in us that is dauntless and fearless, the Spirit that has brought us through old situations and accompanies us into the new.

We may be changing our living patterns and leaving accustomed paths, but all the good that has been a part of our experiences never leaves us. It has, in fact, prepared us for the new path that lies before us. So we can meet changing circumstances, we can cope with new situations, successfully, fearlessly, lovingly.

Let us give thanks that God has prepared the way before us. Let us meet change fearlessly and press on toward our greater good.

Lovingly,

In the tenth letter, Brother Lawrence is apparently responding in regard to someone who has lost a loved one or friend; then in the eleventh letter he is seeking to console someone who is ill or in pain and to have the person accept and embrace the condition rather than resist it.

Some of the language is old-fashioned and very traditional, but in both letters he is seeking to draw the correspondents back to principle, to focus first and foremost on God’s presence rather than on the condition they are experiencing.

In the succeeding letters, Brother Lawrence empathizes with his correspondent and seeks to emphasize the importance of giving oneself completely into God’s loving care and keeping, notwithstanding suffering of any kind, and to pray for courage, humility, and love.

He then declares: “Let us seek after Him often by faith. He is within us; seek Him not elsewhere. . . . Let us begin to be devoted to Him in good earnest. Let us cast everything besides out of our hearts.”

TWELFTH LETTER

If we were well accustomed to the exercise of the presence of God, all bodily diseases would be much alleviated thereby. God often permits that we should suffer a little to purify our souls and oblige us to continue with Him.

Take courage; offer Him your pains incessantly; pray to Him for strength to endure them. Above all, get a habit of entertaining yourself often with God, and forget Him the least you can.

Adore Him in your infirmities, offer yourself to Him from time to time, and in the height of your sufferings beseech Him humbly and affectionately (as a child his father) to make you conformable to His holy will. I shall endeavor to assist you with my poor prayers.

God has many ways of drawing us to Himself. He sometimes hides Himself from us; but faith alone, which will not fail us in time of need, ought to be our support, and the foundation of our confidence, which must be all in God.

I know not how God will dispose of me. I am always happy. All the world suffer; and I, who deserve the severest discipline, feel joys so continual and so great that I can scarce contain them.

I would willingly ask of God a part of your sufferings, but that I know my weakness, which is so great that if He left me one moment to myself I should be the most wretched man alive. And yet I know not how He can leave me alone, because faith gives me as strong a conviction as sense can do that He never forsakes us until we have first forsaken Him. Let us fear to leave Him Let us always be with Him. Let us live and die in His presence. Do you pray for me as I for you.

I am,

Yours, etc.

THIRTEENTH LETTER (To the Same)

I am in pain to see you suffer so long. What gives me some ease and sweetens the feelings I have for your griefs is that they are proofs of God’s love toward you. See them in that view and you will bear them more easily.

As your case is, it is my opinion that you should leave off human remedies, and resign yourself entirely to the providence of God. Perhaps He stays only for that resignation and a perfect trust in Him to cure you. Since, notwithstanding all your cares, physic has hitherto proved unsuccessful, and your malady still increases, it will not be tempting God to abandon yourself in His hands and expect all from Him.

I told you in my last that He sometimes permits bodily diseases to cure the distempers of the soul. Have courage, then; make a virtue of necessity. Ask of God, not deliverance from your pains, but strength to bear resolutely, for the love of Him, all that He should please, and as long as He shall please.

Such prayers, indeed, are a little hard to nature, but most acceptable to God, and sweet t those that love Him. Love sweetens pains; and when one loves God, one suffers for His sake with joy and courage.

Do you so, I beseech you; comfort yourself with Him, who is the only Physician of all our maladies. He is the Father of the afflicted, always ready to help us. He loves us infinitely, more than we imagine. Love Him, then, and seek no consolation elsewhere. I hope you will soon receive it. Adieu. I will help you with my prayers, poor as they are, and shall always be, in our Lord,

Yours, etc.

FOURTEENTH LETTER (To the Same)

I render thanks to our Lord for having relieved you a little, according to your desire. I have been often near expiring, but I never was so much satisfied as then. Accordingly, I did not pray for any relief, but I prayed for strength to suffer with courage, humility, and love.

Ah, how sweet it is to suffer with God! However great the sufferings may be, receive them with love. It is paradise to suffer and be with Him; so that if in this life we would enjoy the peace of paradise we must accustom ourselves to a familiar, humble, affectionate conversation with Him.

We must hinder our spirits’ wandering from Him upon any occasion. We must make our heart a spiritual temple, wherein to adore Him incessantly. We must watch continually over ourselves, that we may not do nor say nor think anything that may displease Him. When our minds are thus employed about God, suffering will become full of unction and consolation.

I know that to arrive at this state the beginning is very difficult, for we must act purely in faith. But though it is difficult, we know also that we can do all things with the grace of God, which He never refuses to them who ask it earnestly. Knock, persevere in knocking, and I answer for it that He will open to you in His due time, and grant you all at once what He has deferred during many years. Adieu. Pray to Him for me as I pray to Him for you. I hope to see Him quickly.

                                                                                                I am,

Yours, etc.

FIFTEENTH LETTER (To the Same)

God knoweth best what is needful for us, and all that He does is for our good. If we knew how much He loves us, we should always be ready to receive equally and with indifference from His hand the sweet and the bitter. All would please that came from Him.

The sorest afflictions never appear intolerable, except when we see them in the wrong light. When we see them as dispensed by the hand of God, when we know that it is our loving Father who abases and distresses us, our sufferings will lose their bitterness and become even matter of consolation.

Let all our employment be to know God; the more one knows Him, the more one desires to know Him. And as knowledge is commonly the measure of love, the deeper and more extensive our knowledge shall be, the greater will be our love; and if our love of God were great, we should love Him equally in pains and pleasures.

Let us not content ourselves with loving God for the mere sensible favors, how elevated soever, which He has done or may do us. Such favors, though never so great, cannot bring us so near to Him as faith does in one simple act. Let us seek Him often by faith. He is within us; seek Him not elsewhere.

If we do love Him alone, are we not rude, and do we not deserve blame, if we busy ourselves about trifles which do not please and perhaps offend Him? It is to be feared these trifles will one day cost us dear.

Let us begin to be devoted to Him in good earnest. Let us cast everything besides out of our hearts. He would possess them alone. Beg this favor of Him. If we do what we can on our parts, we shall soon see that change wrought in us which we aspire after. I cannot thank Him sufficiently for the relaxation He has vouchsafed you. I hope from His mercy the favor to see Him within a few days. Let us pray for one another.

                                                                                    I am, in our Lord,

Yours, etc.

(Note: He took to his bed two days after this writing, and died within the week.)

I hope you have received good value and insights from this classic spiritual book.

God is Blessing You Right Now!

The Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

————————————————————————

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-six years, invites you to enjoy more articles and/or subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions or go directly to the Spiritual Solutions Blog

If you’d like to receive weekday inspirational quotes, you can subscribe at Rich Words

To make a donation to “Spiritual Solutions,” just go to Send a Love Offering and it will take you to a simple form you can use. Thank you - I am very grateful for your generosity!

——————————————————————————

Previous in series