Saint Peter's Tears

We lay  “claim” to things everyday, usually without a thought. Whenever we start a statement with “My”, we claim ownership. Having ruminated on this over the years, I think I am finally getting it. Although I may have a headache or a flair up of arthritis, do I really want to “own” them? No. I want them to go away. Nevertheless, when I refer to them as “My” I assert ownership. Today instead of commenting on or talking about the negative things in “My” life I take whatever secular action is indicated, aspirin, heating pad, ice pack etc followed by a short prayer thanking God for knowing Him better. Today I claim all the gifts and blessings that God has not only for me but for you as well, that all I desire in “My” life comes to you as well. Years ago I came upon this piece on blessings that touched me deeply:

A man found himself standing at the gates to heaven. He was upset and relieved at the same time. Upset that he passed but relieved that he was standing at Heaven’s Gate. Saint Peter greeted him and motioned for him to come forward. As he walked through the gates, he was struck speechless by the beauty and peace that greeted him. Saint Peter ushered him around showing him the wonders of heaven. Finally, they came upon a rather plain building, its plainness a stark contrast against the beauty of all the others. Turning to Saint Peter he asked, “What is that building?” Saint Peter replied, “All of Heaven is open to you but I beseech you to leave that structure be.” The man nodded, for who would question a Saint? But try as he might he could not get that one building out of his mind and after a time asked, “You said all of Heaven is open to me so if I wished to visit any building I could?” With a look of resignation, Saint Peter nodded for he knew which building the man was thinking of. As they walked, Saint Peter waited for the statement that always followed. Soon the man turned to him and said, “I would like to go back to the plain building.” With sadness and a pass of his hand Saint Peter deposited them on the doorstep. “I urge you again not to go in.” Said the Saint,  the man nodded but he would not be swayed. As the doors opened the man was greeted with the sight of row upon row of seeming endless shelves on which rested exquisite boxes each inscribed with a name. He turned to Saint Peter and asked if there was a box with his name on it. Saint Peter replied yes but again urged they leave the building. Undeterred the man ran down the aisles until he found the box with his name on it. As he took it down from the shelf, he turned to see tears in Saint Peter’s eyes, undeterred he removed the lid. As he looked in the box his heart fell for the box contained all the blessings that God had gifted him that had been left unclaimed. He then knew and they wept together.
 
  In prayer claim all of God’s blessings today and if you don‘t know what they are, ask and He will make them plain for you and countless others.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Pope Francis, Chopra, Jesus, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

 

The Ink in the Pen

You are actively engaged in daily prayer, meditation and service, have given your will and life over to the care of a Power Greater Than Yourself, but some area or areas of your life are seemingly not improving and new troubles seem to keep appearing, why?

We know that God is all-powerful, all knowledge and intelligence, the one true source of all abundance, immanent, yet our pleadings are seemingly falling on deaf ears, why?

Through demonstration and adherence to spiritual principles our consciousness has risen, we have experienced the joy of standing in the light, seen the light begin to shine in the lives of others, yet we are struggling, why?

Time is a curious thing. Einstein demonstrated that it is flexible, affected by both gravity and speed, relative to the observer’s point of view. God is unaffected by our relationship with time, its effect on us. The passing of the seasons, the marking of birthdays are human constructs, our time line of remembrance, not God’s.

When in emotional or physical pain or struggling with some difficulty, we desire relief, answers now. The universe does not answer to our time line. Faith requires the willingness to trust that the miraculous is working, unseen, to address the issues of our lives. I am reminded again of the hen and her eggs. The miracle of creation is happening inside the eggs, the hen’s job to have faith and care for the unborn chicks, trusting in the unseen to do the work, in its good time.

So we answer the question of why by trusting in faith, trusting in the unseen. Remembering that this day is a single day in a very long existence, the spark of the Divine within eternal, having never been born, will never die, not limited by flesh, having always been and will always be, we strive to live beyond the present by being present in the moment for Our Father and our fellows. The past is written, the future the ink in the pen, becoming reality as it moves across the pages of our lives. So be present for the story of your life, standing firm in faith and in His good "time", why evaporates.

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Pope Francis, Chopra, Jesus, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path

 

Beyond The Clouds

Everyday somewhere a plane departs in the rain. The aircraft pulls away from the gate and takes its place in line to take off. Soon the engines spool up, the brakes released and the craft quickly gains speed, the passengers are pushed back in their seats by the acceleration. The nose lifts as the cabin window is obscured in driving rain, then everything turns white as the plane enters the clouds. A few seconds pass and then it happens, bright sunshine bursts into the cabin, momentarily blinding in its intensity. The rain, darkness and shadows replaced with brilliance. In truth the sunshine was always there, it was merely obscured for a time.

When we find ourselves in the midst of a difficulty, clouds of fear placing us in shadow, the sunshine of God’s love in truth has never ceased. So by raising our consciousness through prayer and meditation we demonstrate over fear, raising ourselves above the clouds, standing in the light and love that was always there. Love truly dominate.

 

 

© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Pope Francis, Chopra, Jesus, Einstein, AA, McRaven, Healing Path