Making Space for Grace

Today’s post comes is the second from retreat presenters Susan Boruff and Kathy Anderson. They will be at our Center June 17-21 and this retreat theme is “Healing Our World One Person at a Time: Discovering How God’s Love Transforms Ourselves, Our Families, Our Communities and Our World”.  To learn more about the retreat and these presenters, please click here. Let’s take a moment to breathe as we read Susan’s post. There is also a meditation at the end by Kathy Anderson.

Making Space for Grace

In dealing with COVID-19, it is as if we are “at war with an invisible enemy.” This “enemy” is hard to contain, it seems to have a mind of its own and we are limited in our ability to control it. What I see around me though is a very visible enemy in the form of much fear, anxiety, illness and death. This enemy is not invisible, we see it daily in the faces of those that are suffering.

This is why it is more important than ever to remember that we are living in a “divine sea of love and grace.”

What Catholic priest and mystic, Teilhard de Chardin was telling us in The Divine Mileu is that we are living in an environment or atmosphere- which is what mileu means- where God’s help is always present, God’s help is always available, God’s power and love is always available to us. This “invisible” environment or “sea” is an environment of blessings, good will, compassion, kindness, protection, and help. This environment is unseen to our regular way of seeing and becomes more visible in our weakness when we rely on God’s grace to give us strength.

As we grow stronger spiritually, we begin to see through the “spiritual” eyes of faith. The invisible world becomes visible. This is important to understand. Jesus called this invisible world the kingdom of heaven. He told us the kingdom of God/Heaven is near, at hand, in our midst and within us. The kingdom of heaven is the invisible world that controls everything. It is a kingdom of unlimited possibilities, a field of Divine energy, light and potential. This kingdom is available to us all the time. You are “swimming” in this heavenly realm of kindness, love, patience and grace. You are not separate from it. We manifest the separateness by our limited beliefs.

Reflection: What are some limited beliefs that affect your ability to receive Grace? What makes you think you are separate from this grace and love? Take 5 minutes to write down some of your limited beliefs and thoughts.

Did you write down any of the following? Believing your anxious/worried thoughts, self-blame, lack of worthiness, fear of rejection, fear of being alone, not valued, thinking you are in control, thinking that God is angry and wrathful, lack of trust, pride, blaming God for evil and destruction, etc.

In order to grow in love and grace, we need to let go of our limited beliefs, to make Space for Grace. What is God inviting you to let go of right now? Take 5 minutes and write this down, then share it with someone you trust. Say it out loud. “God is inviting me to let go of…..” Here is some good news about brain science. Whenever you consciously make an intention for something, your brain will start the neurological wiring for that intention. Yes, this is true! God designed our brains to become what we focus on. Meditation practices are designed to train our brains to Let Go and put our focus on God.

How do we access this kingdom of heaven Jesus referred to? When we admit we need the help, then we choose it! We choose what we focus on. Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Read this scripture out loud several times. Then sit and savor its truth for at least 25 seconds. Savor means to appreciate and enjoy fully. In future letters, we will be talking more about brain science and why it is important to savor positive experiences.

Jesus invites us in The Lord’s Prayer, to bring what is in the heavenly realm to the earthly realm. This realm is not self-serving, it is for all, you cannot contain “grace,” it is meant to be shared.

So, is this “invisible enemy” really an enemy? Or can we see God’s grace around it, a grace that cannot be contained, seems to have a mind of its own and which we cannot control? We can only surrender.

You are now invited to spend some time practicing letting go and surrendering to God by participating in Kathy’s meditation practice.

Welcome to our breath prayer meditation. This time of uncertainty, while we are asked to remain in our homes, can be an ideal time to take up the practice of meditation. You may wish to start with a breath prayer and continue in silence, extending your silent period a little more each day. To receive the full benefits of meditation, IT IS NECESSARY TO PRACTICE. My daughter is taking this time to learn Spanish. To become comfortable speaking Spanish, she needs to practice. It can really be that simple. The invitation is to make the commitment.

To learn more about Take Twelve Today, a ministry of Susan Boruff and Kathy Anderson, you can visit their website by clicking here.