Hope of the Spirit

 This post was written in 2012, but is no less relevant today. May it bless you.

Hope

Today we are struggling to find hope. Hope seems elusive.  How quickly things can shift. If we place our trust or build our foundation upon emotions , upon other people, upon systems and structures, upon expectations, we will always be disappointed and this disappointment  can so easily lead to despair if we are not vigilant and understand ourselves and our circumstances.

So how can we find hope in the midst of struggles and suffering? How can we find hope in bitter disappointment? How  can we keep finding hope every day , living with ME and all the injustice that goes with it?

We must turn our inner eyes to God. We must seek the goodness that is present and possible . We must look with eyes of hope toward the future. We must embrace  above all the stillness and the Truth of our being, which like the daffodils just opening are alive with mystery, light and life.

Hope, it seems,  then ,is not of the head, but of the heart. Is it not about knowledge, it is  about goodness and faith.  Hope is of the Spirit. It is moving , constantly blessing and lifting us always above our present reality, so that we will always prevail This is why we need to open our inner eyes and lift them higher than material things that trouble us , to feel the presence of hope within us.

This is what Christ came to teach. He did not come to teach us dogma and rules , rather he was more concerned with feeding the poor, setting people free, bringing goodness in to peoples lives, but above all he taught us to see with new eyes - and with new eyes, we realise, that we  may never know  exactly what hope is, but with humility we  can live in the mystery and the blessing  of hope and in  so doing , we do not despair.

Let us ask then to constantly remember hope. Let us always keep our inner eyes on God, who keeps us safe  and brings  us the gift of hope each day. Amen.

Immersion

In order to find blessings in each day it is important to take time to enter into silent stillness and immerse yourself in God's peace. 


This peace is truly not of the world, for it is a gift of great depth which bears no apparent relationship to whatever chaos you may feel is going
on in your life or your body. 


To enter into a calm still space and find God blessing you is an incredible wonder that can transfigure you and fundamentally change how you feel about the whole day.


God's peace uplifts. It renews. It brightens . It upholds you through any trial. It touches your heart and mind and helps you to see things anew with fresh eyes and open heart. 


It reminds you of God's presence with you, it saves and refreshes your life.


One moment of peace and stillness can change the whole flow of your day and ultimately your life.


And so we ask that we can always find the moment needed to immerse ourselves in His energy, that we might bear the fruits of our time with Him. Amen.

Higher

When the world, perturbs, assaults, disturbs us, we must seek a higher perspective. God's light shines constantly, brings wisdom, discernment, truth. 


Going higher can give greater vision and understanding. You can see from a wider different perspective.


God's view is whole and complete. Ours is tiny and often subjective. 


When we do not know what to do, let us immerse ourselves in Gods light so that we can have clarity and insight illuminated for us.


God's light is pure and blesses all.


Let us ask to see things with greater perspective. Let us always seek a higher view, guided by God, blessed by the gifts of the spirit:wisdom, knowledge, discernment, love.

Amen

Pure

Gods love is pure. It is total, absolute and utterly unconditional.His way is straight.


There is ease, clarity, wisdom in His way, for it has a flow that feels right and good, that uplifts and strengthens us. 


We can know the people of God by their actions and intentions: "By their fruit you shall know them ", is so true. There is no expectation or demand on you. 


There is no condition of transaction. There is no game being played out to suit someone's ego or power or status or image. Interactions are genuine. 


Gifts are freely given. 


Relationships are healthy and open, not critical and controlling. 


The people of the Spirit give freely of their love and leave you feeling touched in some indescribable way ;bytheir goodness , wholeness, genuineness.


The way of life is strewn with false relationship, with secret demands and hidden expectations, with subtle compliance and disappointments. 


Ultimately it is only God in His perfection, who sees all and knows all and can tell what is written in our hearts, who can
love us purely for who we are.


May we feel loved, and guided and safe then in the knowledge that God's love is with us and is pure and true. 


May we be guided by the fruits of the Spirit, which shine out from people and inspire us. Amen.

Justice

God's justice is not always what we think it will be. God's justice is love, brings peace and restoration not punishment. 

Oh how we long for justice for ME.

 How great is the need to put things right, to restore truth and integrity, right presentation and service.

How great is the need for proper ME tests, biomedical treatments, search for a cure, accurate research, knowledgeable consultants, adequate care .

How great is the need for healing through the restoration of truth. Let us pray with all our hearts that this is not only possible but that God wills it so in our life time.

Amen.

Demands

Life places many demands upon us. It is not always easy or possible to comply with them. When demands become overwhelming let us place ourselves in trust and faith in Gods hands.

 Let us ask him for his Grace and help to see us through a demanding life. 

Let us find a still space and therein draw sustenance . 

Let us believe in goodness that it will triumph over adversity and a way forward become apparent in all stressful situations we find ourselves in.

 Let us find Hope in the Lord that we might rise above all demands and find His Peace. Amen.

Endeavour

Every day we endeavour to rise above the confines of this illness. It is so all encompassing affecting our lives totally. 

Yet still we find meaning in love, meaning in hope,meaning in our relationship, comfort and support from others also on the edge with this illness.

We dare to be our best selves and stay connected despite all the illness chucks at us to create separation.

 It is not a meaningless empty space we live in. It is one of love, passion, perseverance, trust and Truth.

It is a place where awareness brings compassion for ourselves and others like  us. It brings political awareness, it brings a longing for justice and a need for hope.

It is a shining place where God's light can dazzle us and shine through us. Amen.