Spiritual Solutions

There once lived in the city of Marseilles an old shoemaker, loved and honored by his neighbors, who affectionately called him “Father Martin”

One Christmas Eve, as he sat alone in his little shop reading of the visit of the Wise Men to the infant Jesus, and of the gifts they brought, he said to himself. “If tomorrow were the first Christmas, and if Jesus were to be born in Marseilles this night, I know what I would give Him!” He rose from his stool and took from a shelf overhead two tiny shoes of softest snow- white leather, with bright silver buckles. “I would give Him those, my finest work.”

Replacing the shoes, he blew out the candle and retired to rest. Hardly had he closed his eyes, it seemed, when he heard a voice call his name…”Martin! Martin!”

Intuitively he felt a presence. Then the voice spoke again…”Martin, you have wished to see Me. Tomorrow I shall pass by your window. If you see Me, and bid Me enter, I shall be your guest at your table.”

Father Martin did not sleep that night for joy. And before it was yet dawn he rose and swept and tidied up his little shop. He spread fresh sand upon the floor, and wreathed green boughs of fir along the rafters. On the spotless linen-covered table he placed a loaf of white bread, a jar of honey, and a pitcher of milk, and over the fire he hung a pot of tea Then he took up his patient vigil at the window.

Presently he saw an old street-sweeper pass by, blowing upon his thin, gnarled hands to warm them. “Poor fellow, he must be half frozen,” thought Martin. Opening the door he called out to him, “Come in, my friend, and warm, and drink a cup of hot tea.” And the man gratefully accepted the invitation.

An hour passed, and Martin saw a young, miserably clothed women carrying a baby. She paused wearily to rest in the shelter of his doorway. The heart of the old cobbler was touched. Quickly he flung open the door.

“Come in and warm while you rest,” he said to her. “You do not look well,” he remarked.

“I am going to the hospital. I hope they will take me in, and my baby boy,” she explained. “My husband is at sea, and I am ill, without a soul.”

“Poor child!” cried Father Martin. “You must eat something while you are getting warm. No, Then let me give a cup of milk to the little one. Ah! What a bright, pretty fellow he is! Why, you have put no shoes on him!”

“I have no shoes for him,” sighed the mother sadly. “Then he shall have this lovely pair I finished yesterday.” And Father Martin took down from the shelf the soft little snow-white shoes he had admired the evening before. He slipped them on the child’s feet…they fit perfectly. And shortly the poor young mother left, two shoes in her hand and tearful with gratitude.

And Father Martin resumed his post at the window. Hour after hour went by, and although many people passed his window, and many needy souls shared his hospitality, the expected Guest did not appear.

“It was only a dream,” he sighed, with a heavy heart. “I did not believe; but he has not come.”

Suddenly, so it seemed to his weary eyes, the room was flooded with a strange light. And to the cobbler’s astonished vision there appeared before him, one by one, the poor street-sweeper, the sick mother and her child, and all the people whom he had aided during the day. And each smiled at him and said. “Have you not seen me? Did I not sit at your table?” Then they vanished.

At last, out of the silence, Father Martin heard again the gentle voice repeating the old familiar words. “Whosoever shall receive one such in My name, receiveth Me…for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was athirst, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in…verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto Me.”

God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Merry Christmas!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

———————————————————–

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-seven years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, “Spiritual Solutions,” at Spiritual Solutions. Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend.

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

————————————————————

We talk a lot about actual thanks-giving, about giving thanks, but we don’t talk a lot about praise. We understand about giving thanks and we talk about building an attitude of gratitude, but there’s something about praise too that makes a difference in our lives.

In Psalms 34 it says this, “I will praise the Lord at all times. His praise shall be continually in my mouth.”

The word praise is mentioned over a hundred times in the psalms, and so praise is obviously very important. The Israelites used to praise with song and music and dancing, with instruments. You can picture them with their harps and lyres, probably tambourines and drums, and dancing and singing. They really rejoiced in their times of giving praise to God. They didn’t have a day of Thanksgiving, but certainly they sang praises to God.

Charles Fillmore, in his little book The Revealing Word, said this: “Praise is the quality of mind that eulogizes the good, one of the avenues through which spirituality expresses.”

Again, he said this; “Through an inherent law of mind action, we can increase what we praise. One can praise a weak body into strength, a fearful heart into peace and trust, shattered nerves into peace and power, a failing business into prosperity and success, want and insufficiency into supply and support.”

Why is this so? Well, praise helps us to focus on God’s good and it brings increase. When we praise the plant, the plant grows; when we praise our children, their true self begins to unfold. Anything we praise begins to increase in our lives.

When Myrtle Fillmore discovered she had tuberculosis and she heard the words of Dr. Weeks saying, “You’re a child of God and you do not inherit sickness,” she began to realize and to use that idea of praising, praising all the cells in her body. And she praised them into health. She became healthy again and lived many years after that time.

So the praising is important. Sometimes instead of praising, we put ourselves or others down, or we demean, or even curse. But if we’ll praise the good that we find, what happens? The good begins to increase. And the important thing is not only that the good increases, and when we praise other people they begin to blossom, don’t they? Everybody blossoms through praise.

That’s one thing that happens, but that’s only half the story because we get a blessing too. As we praise, we begin to see more good within ourselves and we begin to open the gateway of good within ourselves. We open the channels to receive more good as we give praise and blessings to others.

It says in the Psalms, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, that I know very well.”

So why do we praise God? Does God need our praise? No, God doesn’t need our praise, but we do. It doesn’t affect God, but it affects us. When we praise God, it affects us. What does it increase? Does it increase God? No, but it increases our spiritual awareness of God’s good when we praise and give thanks to God. It opens the gateways of our soul so that the imprisoned splendor of our own being can escape; and the love that we are can move into our world.

So, this Thanksgiving, remember that praising God and praising others is really key to experiencing more good in your own life.

Praise opens the gateways of our soul and love escapes into our experience. Sometimes praise has a way of making tears form when you realize you are in touch with the Spirit of God, and in this you are truly alive.

God Bless You – and I give thanks for you.

God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham
——————————-
If you would like to publish this article or forward it to a friend, please include this resource box.

“Spiritual Solutions” is produced by The Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for thirty-seven years, and is offered free of charge to anyone who wants to receive it. To be on my newsletter mailing list and have access to other articles, please go to Spiritual Solutions.

To subscribe to weekday inspirational quotes, go to Rich Words.
———————————-

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 »

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

In the Seventh Letter, Brother Lawrence encourages us to simply begin to practice the presence of God, no matter how old we may be or whether we spend a lot or a little time in the practice. The important thing is to begin.

A question we all experience is addressed in the Eighth Letter, that of what to do about wandering thoughts in prayer. He advises us not to disquiet ourselves because of wandering thoughts, since trouble and disquiet serve to distract the mind. He suggests that one way to recollect the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in tranquility, is not to wander too far at other times but to keep the mind in the presence of God and to think of Him often.

The Ninth Letter is to a colleague in response to a letter he received from a lady; he asks his colleague to deliver his letter to her and to report to him on her progress from time to time. In so doing he also brings to his colleague the importance of a greater awareness and attention to the practice of the presence of God, and I quote:

“We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure.”

Now we turn our attention to two more letters.

TENTH LETTER

I have had a good deal of difficulty to bring myself to write to Mr. ____, and I do it now purely because you and Madame _____ desire me. Pray write the directions and send it to him. I am very well pleased with the trust which you have in God; I wish that He may increase it in you more and more. We cannot have too much in as good and faithful a Friend, who will never fail us in this world nor in the next.

If Mr. ______ makes his advantage of the loss he has had, and puts all his confidence in God, He will soon give him another friend, more powerful and more inclined to serve him. He disposes of hearts as He pleases. Perhaps Mr. _______ was too much attached to him he has lost. We ought to love our friends, but without encroaching on the love due to God, which must be the principal.

Pray remember what I have recommended to you, which is, to think often on God, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave Him not alone. You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you; why, then, must God be neglected?

Do not, then, forget Him, but think on Him often, adore Him continually, live and die with Him; this is the glorious employment of a Christian. In a word, this is our profession; if we do not know it, we must learn it. I will endeavor to help you with my prayers, and am, in our Lord,

Yours, etc.

ELEVENTH LETTER

I do not pray that you be delivered from your pains, but I pray God earnestly that He would give you strength and patience to bear them as long as He pleases. Comfort yourself with Him who holds you fastened to the cross. He will loose you when He thinks fit. Happy those who suffer with Him. Accustom yourself to suffer in that manner, and seek from Him the strength to endure as much, and as long, as He shall judge to be necessary for you.

The men of the world do not comprehend these truths, nor is it to be wondered at, since they suffer like what they are, and not like Christians. They consider sickness as a pain to nature, and not as a favor from God; and seeing it only in that light, they fid nothing in it but grief and distress.

But those who consider sickness as coming from the hand of God, as the effect of His mercy, and the means which He employs for their salvation – such commonly find in it great sweetness and sensible consolation.

I wish you could convince yourself that God is often (in some sense) nearer to us, and more effectually present with us, in sickness than in health. Rely upon no other physician; for, according to my apprehension, He reserves your cure to Himself.

Put, then, all your trust in Him, and you will soon find the effects of it in your recovery, which we often retard by putting greater confidence in physic than in God.

Whatever remedies you make use of, they will succeed only so far as He permits. When pains come from God, He only can cure them. He often sends diseases of the body to cure those of the soul. Comfort yourself with the sovereign Physician both of the soul and body.

Be satisfied with the condition in which God places you; however happy you may think me, I envy you. Pains and sufferings would be a paradise to me while I should suffer with my God, and the greatest pleasures would be hell to me if I could relish them without Him. All my consolation would be to suffer something for His sake.

I must, in a little time, go to God. What comforts me in this life is that I now see Him by faith; and I see Him in such a manner as might make me say sometimes, I believe no more, but I see. I feel what faith teaches us, and in that assurance and that practice of faith I will live and die with Him.

Continue, then, always with God; it is the only support and comfort for your affliction. I shall beseech Him to be with you. I present my service.

Yours, etc.

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!

——————————————————————————

Previous in series Next in series

In the Fifth Letter it appears that Brother Lawrence was writing to an older person, who is perhaps the head of a holy society, in regard to one who is proposing to make her profession, or vows, and who is requesting prayer.

He asks that the one to whom he is writing not disappoint the one requesting prayer, and he sent to the correspondent a book on the practice of the presence of God, with his strongest possible recommendation of the practice.

In the Sixth Letter to the same person, he evidently had not had any response in regard to the book he had sent. So again he strongly recommends the practice and to (I love this) “Pray set heartily about the practice of it in your old age; it is better late than never.”

Now we turn to three more letters from Brother Lawrence.

SEVENTH LETTER

I pity you much. It will be of great importance if you can leave the care of your affairs to ________, and spend the remainder of your life only in worshipping God.

He requires no great matters of us; a little remembrance of Him from time to time; a little adoration; sometimes to pray for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, and sometimes to return Him thanks for the favors He has given you, and still gives you, in the midst of your troubles, and to console yourself with Him the oftenest you can.

Lift up your heart to Him, sometimes even at your meals, and when you are in company; the least little remembrance will always be acceptable to Him. You need not cry very loud; He is nearer to us than we are aware of.

It is not necessary for being with God to be always at church. We may make an oratory of our heart wherein to retire from time to time to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love. Every one is capable of such familiar conversation with God, some more, some less. He knows what we can do. Let us begin then.

Perhaps He expects but one generous resolution on our part. Have courage. We have but little time to live; you are near sixty-four, and I am almost eighty. Let us live and die with God. Sufferings will be sweet and pleasant to us while we are with Him; and the greatest pleasures will be, without Him, a cruel punishment to us. May He be blessed for all. Amen.

Accustom yourself, then, by degrees thus to worship Him, to beg His grace, to offer Him your heart from time to time in the midst of your business, even every moment, if you can. Do not always scrupulously confine yourself to certain rules or particular forms of devotion, but act with a general confidence in God, with love and humility. You may assure _________ of my poor prayers, and that I am their servant, and particularly

Yours in our Lord, etc.

EIGHTH LETTER

(Concerning Wandering Thoughts in Prayer)

You tell me nothing new; you are not the only one that is troubled with wandering thoughts. Our mind is extremely roving; but, as the will is mistress of all our faculties, she must recall them, and carry them to God as their last end.

When the mind, for want of being sufficiently reduced by recollection at our first engaging in devotion, has contracted certain bad habits of wandering and dissipation, they are difficult to overcome, and commonly draw us, even against our wills, to the things of the earth.

I believe one remedy for this is to confess our faults and to humble ourselves before God. I do not advise you to use multiplicity of words in prayer, many words and long discourses being often the occasions of wandering.

Hold yourself in prayer before God like a dumb or paralytic beggar at a rich man’s gate. Let it be your business to keep your mind in the presence of the Lord. If it sometimes wander and withdraw itself from Him, do not much disquiet yourself for that; trouble and disquiet serve rather to distract the mind than to recollect it; the will must bring it back in tranquility. If you persevere in this manner, God will have pity on you.

One way to recollect the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in tranquility, is not to let it wander too far at other times. You should keep it strictly in the presence of God; and being accustomed to think of Him often, you will find it easy to keep your mind calm in the time of prayer, or at least to recall it from its wanderings.

I have told you already at large, in my former letters, of the advantages we may draw from this practice of the presence of God. Let us set about it seriously, and pray for one another.

Yours, etc.

NINTH LETTER

The enclosed is an answer to that which I received from ___________; pray deliver it to her. She seems to me full of good will, but she would go faster than grace. One does not become holy all at once. I recommend her to you; we ought to help one another by our advice, and yet more by our good examples. You will oblige me to let me hear of her from time to time, and whether she be very fervent and very obedient.

Let us think often that our only business in this life is to please God, and that all besides is but folly and vanity. You and I have lived about forty years in religion (i.e., a monastic life). Have we employed them in loving and serving God, who by His mercy has called us to this state, and for that very end?

I am filled with shame and confusion when I reflect, on one hand, upon the great favors which God has done, and incessantly continues to do me; and on the other, upon the ill use I have made of them, and my small advancement in the way of perfection.

Since by His mercy He gives us still a little time, let us begin in earnest; let us repair the lost time; let us return with a full assurance to that Father of mercies, who is always ready to receive us affectionately. Let us renounce, let us generously renounce, for the love of Him, all that is not Himself; He deserves infinitely more.

Let us think of Him perpetually. Let us put all our trust in Him. I doubt not but we shall soon find the effects of it in receiving the abundance of His grace, with which we can do all things, and without which we can do nothing but sin.

We cann