As Spring awakens and new life emerges from the ashes of Winter, I am struck by the natural surrendering activity within Nature. The natural world trusts Life. It does not seek to control it, nor does it force itself to awaken in a particular manner. I am equally struck by the sheer diversity and creativity of Nature. Though the same perennials occupy the same spot, largely, from one season to another, the flowers blossom uniquely to the season at hand without fear. I most often find my calm and joy both in Nature and in Reiki flowing through me, connecting me with the Great Divine. In this daily practice, I learn to surrender and have faith that in my ever emergent new life, Goddess wills what is sacred, joyful and benevolent for me and the greater good of which I am a part.
Still, I walk a paradox. I live in a world molested by fear and greed. In the midst of such local and global unrest, turmoil and chaos, fear can spread like fire, gaining tornado-like speed that in a moment can rock our confidence and decimate our ability to walk dignified as glorious human beings. When fear grips our hearts, minds and bodies, the power of our spiritual faith can restore neural-hormonal balance so we can think with reason and trust. The power of our spiritual faith reminds us that we can believe in the goodness and benevolence of God, Ultimate Reality, Great Mystery, Source of Being and that this Divine Activity seeks only compassionate and truth-filled outcomes, even when we can’t see them.
I have observed over many years how fear-thinking rears itself in my heart and in the heart, mind and body of others. Although I still can succumb to its deceptive rationales and judgements of life, I have learned to more quickly become aware of its insidious consciousness and step back into a place of breath and Great Love so I can remind myself of a greater creativity and Holy Will working itself out in Nature and in the true nature of humanity.
Fear consciousness functions mindlessly, deceitfully and impulsively. When we join this fear and live in its consciousness, we become the fuel that feed its growth and its “machine-like” world view. I’m not talking here about having fearful thoughts that flit through and make us realize that we need more information or need to educate ourselves to gain a more comprehensive picture. I’m talking about the fear fiend that makes itself home within our hearts and depletes our inner light from living creatively and compassionately, seeking the greater good for all. Chronic fear shrinks our sense of self and deteriorates our confidence to make a difference in the world and be engaged with it joyfully.
This entity of fear becomes greedier, disrespectful and mindless the bigger it gets. Its level of consciousness is polarized and legalistic and extremist. The bigger it grows it becomes doom-oriented. It seeks to control and grab, shrink, force, eat up and spit out as though no human or environmental dignity is of value. This kind of fear entity flat-lines our compassion and we start to only think about our poverty, irrespective of the abundance of resources in the world and our ability to create sustainable engagement in the marketplace.
Spiritual fith is to have faith in the Divine working positively and for the greater good of all things. It is truth beyond knowledge. In my Peace Building Conversation course, I state that we must have a daily spiritual practice that feeds and sustains us, that matures and transforms us. The power of spiritual faith matures as we practice and strengthen our belief and connection in the Love, Compassion and Benevolence of Great Mystery that is the Source of all Living Creation.
For me, my spiritual faith leads me because it walks both ahead of me and beside me. My spiritual faith asks me to suspend my self-conscious – “who am I to know this” and to suspend my fear thinking. Most often my spiritual faith grounds me in my belief and soul confidence that good and positive outcomes will manifest for me and the world, even if I can’t see it, nor imagine it in this moment. It isn’t that I never feel fear. That can be a daily event. But it doesn’t last anymore because when I ground in my spiritual faith, which I nurture daily, my faith vanishes my fear.
Eleven years ago, when I left my job to start my own business, I had one client. Now I wouldn’t suggest people go out and do what I did. There were other extenuating circumstances involved. Nevertheless, what I did have which was far more comprehensive than any 20 clients and an over-booked schedule, was faith in God’s vision for my life. It was my number one business plan. It was not blind optimism, nor new age reductionism that I could manifest 20 clients in a few days if I wanted without needing to know anything about sustaining a business.
Just as the mind is more powerful than the body, the Spirit is more powerful than the mind. My decision to start my own business was reasonable and yet my spiritual faith transcended my fear and asked me to begin with one client and to trust deeply that a Higher Purpose was positively working itself out in a good and abundant way. My spiritual faith called me to walk an unknown path and to build great courage and endure the initiations of true wisdom. My spirit’s faith knew what I needed to reclaim my soul’s (and body’s) health and a new vision for my life. Walking this unknown path and trusting that all would turn out generously was like jumping off the cliff and believing I would grow wings. I GREW WINGS. Since my first life vision went belly up, growing wings again was a huge act of faith and Divine Love.
Over the years, my spiritual faith continues to guide the activities of my business development, my marketing strategies, my networking, my programs and all the administration entailed. My faith grounds me every time I have to readjust or tweak my business mission where I worry about the sustainability of my work in the midst of the entire world’s economic and social crisis. It returns me to my inner peace.
More than ever, people are being awakened and called back to the basics of responsible living, values-based boundaries, skills to manage conflict in everyday relationships and a spiritual practice to make life and body healthy, peaceful and balanced. I am confident that people need skills to return to peace. I now have a maturing faith in God making my business work as is Divinely intended. Daily, I witness that which lives within the earth and all humanity surrender to the Great Transformation sweeping our earth.
If your faith is in your fear, in your ego, or in the institutions that grow your money, then beware of great distress and illness of your heart, mind and body. It is not only reasonable and practical to nurture your spiritual faith, to mature it. It is joy-filled and a living miracle because it has the power to vanquish your fear. Have spiritual faith. Grow it. Nurture it. Nourish it. Mature it. Then, experience new and abundant life and true freedom.
©Shirley Lynn Martin