Sunday, June 23, 2013

God's Messengers

Each time I sit down to write a new post, I wonder if what I end up sharing is of any value to anyone but myself.  When I made the commitment to God to write this blog, I remember asking myself: "What if no one reads it?"  I realized that if I allowed myself to get caught up in the stats (who was reading, how many were reading, how many commented, were the comments positive or negative) and the stats weren't 'good,' that I probably wouldn't continue writing for very long.

So I decided that I was going to write this blog just for the experience of writing, without any expectation or attachment to the outcome.  I was just going to write to honor my promise to God and to see what happened to me through this process.  And if sharing my 'musings' helped someone else along the way, that would be an added bonus.  Although I recognized that I might never know whether my sharing made a difference, because not everyone who read my posts would take the time or want to share their thoughts or comments. 

I think the same thing is true when I teach or do healing work, and find myself telling others my stories and experiences.  When I go home at the end of the night and do a self-review, thinking about the experiences I've shared, or the information I've passed along, I often question if the things that I've shared were appropriate or valuable, or made a difference. Or was I just talking to hear myself speak?

And last year, when I shared my pictures with everyone on my email list as I traveled, I wondered if what I shared touched anyone's spirit, since I was only sharing pictures and people weren't actually traveling with me in person.  Once I hit the send button, I did  my best to detach from the outcome so that I wouldn't be disappointed if no one commented, because of course, unless I heard back, I had no way of knowing if the arrival of those pictures in anyone else's inboxes would matter. 

A couple of days ago, I opened my inbox to find an email from a stranger, someone who had received some of those pictures from that trip, from a friend of mine whose name was on my email list.  For some reason, my pictures had touched her, and she decided to forward them along to him.  Along with the email from that stranger, was a picture of a painting that he had been inspired to paint because of something that 'caught his eye' in one of the pictures that he'd received, one of the pictures I'd chosen to share.

I tried to copy the picture and paste it here in the body of this post so you could see it too.  It's really an incredible painting.  But for whatever reason, the limitations of the blogger software or my own inabilities to master technology, I wasn't able to do it.  But if you'd like to see it, the artist's name is Leo Goode, and his website is www.leogoode.com .  He told me that he called the painting "Over the Top,"  but when I visited his website to take a look at his other work, the painting was entitled "What a View."  Just click on the landscapes tab when you get to his website.  It's the first painting in the second row. 

Mr. Goode acknowledged in his email that although he really liked my photo, he always changes some things when he uses a photo as an inspiration for a painting.  Since I was curious to see the changes he made, I searched through my photos and found the original. Here it is.



So what's the purpose of this post?  Just to tell you about  my insecurities, or to share a story about an email from a stranger?   No, I think there's more to it than that.  I think the real purpose behind this email is to encourage you to share your own stories, your own experiences, your own photos, whenever the opportunity presents itself and you feel called to do so, because you just never know where your sharing will lead.  Of course, if you find yourself  'talking to the hand' as a current saying goes, or people start rolling their eyes or making an unusual number of trips to the bathroom just to get away from you and your sharing, well, you might want to take the hint and cut it short.  Obviously it's not the right time. But don't ever stop. 

When we share those bits and pieces of ourselves, we have the ability to touch someone's heart, soothe an aching soul, lift a spirit, generate a smile, and maybe even inspire a painting.   Those stories, experiences and pictures that have meaning for us, could have meaning for someone else too, perhaps not in the same way, but in a unique and special way that is still inspirational, even though you may never know that what you shared touched another on a deep and personal level.

Our lives, our stories, are filled with wisdom.  We are the wisdom keepers and we are the messengers. Without us, and our willingness to share, I think God's work would be that much more challenging.  During a healing circle a year or so ago, this is part of a message that came through from God:

"You are all light workers.  Not just in the sense of energy workers, but in the sense of working with My light, your light, Our light.   You have the ability, the gift, the talent, to reach out to others, to assist others, to assist yourself.  These are not special gifts. You are not special, not in the way that so many people think of when they say, 'Oh, you think you're special!'  You are special because you are each unique.  Each of you has a unique vibration.  And each of you is necessary - necessary - in order to help the healing that is (needed) all over the world.  Each of you will attract to you those who are attracted by your particular vibration.  They are coming to you because they resonate with you.  They need you. And you, you need them.

...So be aware.  Be aware of the power of your energy.  The strength of your light.  The strength of My power working within you, around you and through you, as you and I together reach out to the masses.  They have been brought into your aura, your energy field, because you have something that they need, something they can relate to.  Something that resonates within them... Do not insist on knowing what part you will play, or how you are assisting.  Trust that you are doing My work... Surrender to the process.  Get your ego out of the way, and allow yourself to be the biggest, the best, the brightest, the most open channel for My work that it is possible for you to be. That is what I ask of you today.  That is what I hope for you today."

So as I continue to share my own stories and photos, detaching from the outcome,  I'm encouraging you to open up too.  I'm asking you to be courageous, audacious, bold, vulnerable.  Share yourself.  Share your wisdom.  Share your heart.  Who knows what, or who, your sharing may inspire?  Maybe someday you'll get an unexpected email, from a stranger, or from someone you know, letting you know that you inspired someone too.  

  



 

 
 



6 comments:

  1. Or you may change tables to sit with a friend, and have someone you haven't seen in 40 years sit down next to you and strike up a conversation. One that has been going on daily ever since. Thank you, dear friend, for opening up as much as you do. I can't begin to tell you how much you have helped me. You are the best kind of teacher and mentor...someone who is willing to share, warts and all. I'm sure you won't know, in this lifetime, how many lives you've touched, and how many lives you've changed for the better. I can hardly wait to see what's on the horizon for you. My gut tells me is gonna be something big, and, as I've told you before, I'll be able to say "I knew you when..." Hugs.

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    1. We all have warts, and I think it's important to share those too, so that I don't take myself too seriously. I'd hate to start thinking that I've got this journey licked... there is still so much to learn. So sharing the warts helps me remember that it's the warts this journey is really all about!

      And thank you for the caring words and great encouragement. I really needed it. As my time in Pittsburgh gets shorter and shorter, my questions about what comes next get bigger and bigger! One step at a time, I keep telling myself. Let me just get to Nashville and then look for the next step! I'm curious to see where it leads also.

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  2. Thank you for sharing that message from the circle Bonnie! I needed that reminder today.

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    1. God's timing is always perfect! I'm glad it was there when you needed it.

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  3. Thank you bonnie for that message. It is hard to do what we do sometimes because we don't get that immediate response that we might want. But those words are so true. I have never heard them before, they were MUCH needed!

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    1. Makes me realize how much wisdom is in the messages that have come through and that I need to share more of them. I'm sure others would find it valuable, as well as the ones who were present when the messages were given initially. Thanks for reminding me of that.

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