The child whispered, "God, speak to me."
And a meadowlark sang
But the child did not hear.
So the child yelled, "God, speak to me!"
And the thunder rolled across the sky
But the child did not listen.
The child looked around and said,
"God, let me see You." and a star shone brightly
But the child did not notice.
And the child shouted,
"God show me a miracle!"
And a life was born but the child did not know.
So the child cried out in despair,
"Touch me God, and let me know You are here!"
Whereupon God reached down
And touched the child.
But the child brushed the butterfly away
And walked away unknowingly.
Fear can freeze our faces and feelings. We can lose our faith in the face of our fears. Fears can lead us to expectation, anticipation, and wanting what we think we want. From those expectations we develop beliefs. When we freeze in anticipation we are no longer present. Instead we are focused on what will happen, rather than on what is happening now.
Often our wants are fuelled by fear that we will not get, have, or experience what we think we need. When we are fixed on what we think we need we may miss something even better than we could have possibly hoped. The young girl in the poem had frozen her desire for God into a set of expectations. We wonder what did she expect her God to look or sound like? Which set of beliefs or precepts stopped her from experiencing God in that moment?
When our expectations are the driving force behind our attitude and actions, faith has left the building. When faith is no longer part of the picture our will/fears rule, and we block our dreams from truly taking off. When we are certain we know best, we are cutting off any options that may be better than our wildest dreams.
Faith doesn't just happen. Faith is like a muscle that gradually builds strength as we go towards our goals. And really the question isn't fear or faith; it's how to recognize when we are being run by one or the other. Fear has its place as a warning of something not right, or a clue that we are off course. Fear and Faith are the two sides of one coin. Look into the mirror and ask which rules this moment? Fear can create imaginary mountains out of molehills, while Faith can get us over the mountains or obstacles and closer to our dreams. As we develop our faith muscles we experience God in the butterfly touching our cheek, or the song of the meadowlark, or the clap of thunder. All can be part of our infinite field of creative potentiality.
I call this field by many names, infinite intelligence, Great Spirit, and God/dess. This field has no beginning or end. It is absolutely everywhere. Within it are both Love and Law. Love points the way to various possibilities and Law makes those possibilities real. Today I can choose to let go of yesterday and see each moment as brand new. Then this moment, right now, is fresh and unconditioned by my past. This moment is expanding into the next moment and the next, and I feel the preciousness of all of them. When my eyes are open to see a new reality, my mind is clear, and my heart pure. I can choose to see love, light and joy surrounding me. I can choose to experience the wisdom within me. I can choose a divine reality that continually makes all things new. With the wonder of a child, I feel loved and blessed. I am so grateful to have the awareness to choose wisely.
This week's exercise is to embrace a moment in time and then write about that moment. Take a walk in nature and let your senses be your guide. Whether you live in a city, the countryside or a small town, there is always a park nearby. Ask yourself what does the ground feel like beneath your feet? What do the breeze and the sun feel like on your skin? What are the sounds you hear, the smells you either recognize, or don't? What do you see in the larger sphere of sky, clouds, and trees, and the tinier realm of bird nests, insects, or flowers? The more you give yourself to the moment the more you feel. After you have given yourself this moment, write down what you remember. Once you describe the fullness of that moment, you can create a reference point that you carry with you. This reference point is a guide to hearing that meadowlark sing in every moment of your day.
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