The Gift of Understanding
By Summer Bacon
There is absolutely nothing I'd rather do with my life than to think about, talk about, and teach about God and Spirit. It's something that I do 24/7, not just in front of groups. I have this fierce love of God that has been in me since I was a small child. Sure, my perception of God has changed shape through the years. When I was ten years old Dad told me that God was "everything," which absolutely cracked me up. "Even my boogers?" I'd respond.
Then, as a teenager, I thought it was cool to call myself an atheist. I really think it had more to do with knowing the word and throwing it around than it had to do with my belief system.
Then, as the result of a miraculous encounter with Jesus Christ (in which he saved my life) and the proddings of my Christian friends I was "born again"...and Adam and Eve became real to me. I mean REALLY real. I became an obnoxious Bible thumping Evangelical Christian. I hoped that if I read the gospel loudly enough I would scare away those pesky demons that seemed to follow me everywhere.
Oh yeah. Did I mention the ectoplasm? That's the white life force stuff that Spiritualists (like Dr. Peebles) used to conjure up back in the late 1800s (I'm no historian, so don't quote me on the dates). Spirits would take this life force from a willing medium and actually form vocal chords inside of an instrument called a "trumpet." Spirit would then be able to speak directly to people using these ectoplasmic vocal chords. I heard a tape of this once. Very cool stuff. Spirit could also tangibly manifest in front of people by using ectoplasm.
Well, this white stuff used to follow me around in my early 20s. That was during the time that I was married to my first husband who was from New Orleans. He'd inherited powders and potions from his Aunt who practiced voodoo (which, oddly enough, is practiced by many Catholics). Dan would anoint me every evening, and taught me to recite the Lord's Prayer and various Psalms as "protection" from evil spirits. After awhile these rituals got really boring and really annoying. And, anyway, they certainly didn't protect me from him. After three months of abuse, I divorced Dan.
Oh, I almost forgot. The ectoplasm. Long spirals of ectoplasm two feet long would manifest next to me or in front of me at the oddest times. I always hoped it was cigarette smoke, but there was never anyone around who was smoking. It always took the same shape too. After several appearances of this stuff, I was getting really creeped out.
Anyway, back to God.
God's love has been the constant in my life, through all of these experiences and more. Even when I began to embrace and understand the mystic that I am, and my abilities as a medium began to surface, I checked in with God every step of the way. I knew that if I kept up a running dialogue with God, then I would never be out of step with His will.
Oops. I'll bet I tripped up some of you by calling God "Him." Maybe I'd better explain my perspective on this.
I've heard people speak of God as "Father, Mother," "Earth, Mother, Father," "God Self," etc. This used to drive me crazy, and usually when I'm driven crazy I resort to humor. So, naturally I would say, "Why not 'earth, mother, father, sister, brother, aunt and uncle?'"
Okay. So shoot me. (That's just an expression, not to be taken literally.) I call God "Him" because I find it easiest to relate that way. When I'm feeling like dog shit, I go to God and imagine myself kneeling down in front of this very loving Father figure. I put my head in His lap and He puts His hand on my head and says, "What's going on, Summy?" And, I commence to pour my heart out to him. It feels REALLY good, and REALLY loving.
So, all powders and potions aside, I have learned that the only constant in life is God's love. The challenge is in acknowledging and accepting that love into our lives, and allowing it to be expressed through us in purity. That is, quite frankly, the process of channeling.
When I teach my classes, I explain my relationship with God up front. I personally don't think that it matters how you relate to God, JUST AS LONG AS YOU RELATE. I'm a strong proponent of keeping up an ongoing dialogue with God and Spirit. This spiritual adventure on earth is 24/7, and I don't want to miss a moment of it.
Which brings me to my next point. Can you challenge yourself today to be a more loving person? To move forward with a strong conviction to not repeat the patterns that continuously keep you in an unhappy place in your life? The patterns that prevent you from building a closer relationship with God (i.e. the relationship within yourself)?
My friend Beth and I were watching a television minister who I think is really wonderful. This minister said that we should not be gossips. Beth and I looked at each other with impish grins, and Beth spoke my truth for me. "Well...can't we just gossip a little bit?" We laughed. Then I thought about it. WHAT IF I could manage to not speak unkindly EVER about ANYONE? WHAT IF I could learn to hold my tongue and make a choice not to engage in gossip? As I thought about this I realized that I would lose the opportunity to "vent my frustrations" or "have a good laugh at someone else's expense" by not gossiping. BUT, I could then go forth in my life knowing that I am treating the world with the same respect with which I would like to be treated. By not gossiping, I would have to then see the beauty in everyone, and...live with the same love and forgiveness in my heart as I believe God carries for each of us. In other words, I would GAIN in how much love I carry inside of my heart. Not a bad way to live. What freedom!
Another way to "increase communication with all of life, and with respect" is to not kill bugs. If God IS everything, then God is bugs too. Now, yes, I'm guilty of calling Bug Busters every spring, because I don't particularly like sharing my space with spiders and scorpions. HOWEVER, I do attempt to give them a chance. I tell the bugs that I love them, and that I understand that they need a place to live. Then I explain that I need a place to live in comfort too. I give them fair warning to leave "or I will help you transition out of the body." A whole nest of black widow spiders once took me seriously and left within the hour.
The smallest act of kindness can have a powerful resonance in your quest to understand and know God.
I know that it is easier to not look at these seemingly innocuous areas of your life. But, if you feel like you're a pretty good, loving, compassionate, caring person it doesn't hurt to look again. In the same way that your home feels so good and inviting after a spring cleaning, you'll feel so fresh and alive when you begin to truly tidy up all aspects of yourself.
I tell my children that if they can go through their life without EVER telling a lie (even a little white one) that they would find the greatest reward in knowing that they are in integrity at all times. It is so freeing to walk the earth without feeling a need to hide your true self. That, to me, is a life without shame. That, to me, is a life devoted to truly loving God (which I do believe is everything, even boogers)...starting with yourself.
And, remember, don't beat yourself up because you don't always cross every "t" and dot every "i." You are NOT a bad person, YOU are a GROWING person.
In the words of my favorite television minister, "There is always time to become the person that you want to be."
The true abundance that we seek in life does not come with the things that we acquire. It does not come with the perfect marriage, the kindest children, the best job. ABUNDANCE is conceived within us by loving God, and then is birthed into the world by allowing for this love to be expressed, by speaking our truth, by loving when it is difficult to love, by forgiving when it is difficult to forgive. It is always easier to pray for the upliftment of someone that you love, than to pray for the upliftment of someone that you hate. But, if you can, each day, shine the light of love into the darker spaces of your life, you will be doing the will of God. You will find freedom and flight of soul "beyond your wildest dreams and imaginations." And, when you drop the coat of your human form, you'll find that you CAN take it with you.
It's all about LOVE.