Spiritual Solutions

As a minister, I have used many stories to illustrate a point. This is certainly not unique to me, for stories have played a most important part in everyone’s life; authors, public speakers, counselors and others have used them to touch hearts and minds and to effectively get their point across.

When the famous philosopher Socrates was asked the best place for learning, he replied, “The place where thou art.” Every one of us can tell a story of our various experiences and “the place where we are” at different times of our life, how we viewed a particular situation when it happened and how we view that situation now. And now we may have a totally different perspective of the “place” where we were in “the place where we are.”

For Socrates the good of the soul must come first, and it was his conviction that it is the duty of every person to care for his or her own soul. In the story of Moses and the “burning bush” which was not burnt, we learn that God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here am I.” Then he said, “Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” This is true for each of us, for the “place” on which we stand is holy ground; no matter the experience we may be going through. This is the “place” where we can come to know ourselves, the “place” where we can hear our greater self speaking to us, bringing new awareness, understanding and wisdom.

 The “place where we are” is holy ground, and it is in the story of that “place” where we find the “holy ground” of new understanding, usually at first when looking back at a particular experience from a new vantage point but eventually in the midst of an experience, no matter how difficult it may seem from the appearance. We can recall that Jesus cautioned us not to “judge by appearances,” but to “judge with right judgment,” or from the higher perspective of a greater truth.

What are the stories you can tell from your own life, first from the “place” in consciousness where you were at the time and then from the “place” where you are at this point in your life.

Sometimes, often in extreme circumstances, God speaks to us from out of the “burning bush” of spiritual insight right there in the midst of the most awful of circumstances. And we hear the truth in that moment. Let me share one of my own life stories, an extremely traumatic and gut-wrenching one, to illustrate this.

In January, 1992, I came home to a telephone message asking me to call my daughter in England and that it was very important. I had an intuitive feeling that it was something about my youngest son, then 26 years old, a feeling that was confirmed when I called my daughter. She said, “It’s Carl, he’s dead! He took his own life!”

In that moment an involuntary animal-like moan came from deep within me; and the first thought that came was from what others had said about people who committed suicide, and that they would wander as lost souls throughout eternity. But in the very next split second I heard what I can only describe as a voice, which said, “He is enfolded in God’s love!” In that instant I knew that truth in the deepest recesses of my soul; it sustained me through the days that followed and has remained with me ever since.

Not all our life stories are so traumatic and dramatic, but in writing down our stories we can discover amazing truths about ourselves. And it can change how we see ourselves.

Sometimes simple ideas that other people have shared with us find a place in our consciousness and provide a way for us to see things differently.

Just the other night my wife, Kathryn, and I were watching the “Next Food Network Star” and one of the contestants had come through a cooking section which was “rigged” with difficulties ahead of time. She came through with flying colors. One of the judges asked her how she managed to come through it with such ease and she responded that her father had always told her when facing a difficult situation to make up a story about it and you’ll be able to laugh about it afterwards.

I am convinced that writing our life stories can be a tremendous vehicle for our spiritual development and a sure way to access our inner wisdom, and I would encourage you in that endeavor.

Remember, God is Blessing You Right now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

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Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-seven years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions.

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