Unique Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is unique to each one of us and cannot be compared to or measured alongside another’s growth. God is not looking for conformity but a special, one-of-a-kind relationship with each individual. Judith Lawrence Highway of Holiness: Soul Journey, P. 17

Each one of us is an individual; physically, mentally, and spirituality we are each different from one another. Even though we may compete with one another in our physical and mental fields, in our spiritual side each one of us is precious in God’s sight and should own our own God-given uniqueness and that of others; our spiritual growth is individual and unique and there can be no competition between us, no vying for God’s attention over another’s relationship with God; each one of us is as important to God as is the next person.

God desires a bond with each human being on the earth; God desires a relationship with each one of us; God loves us each one. God created us and formed us in our mother’s womb and desires that we would search after God and our special relationship with the Sacred One, not trying to conform to others or vie with others to appear better in God’s eyes than the next spiritual being.

© Judith Lawrence

Planting and Reaping a Spiritual Harvest

Jesus said, “You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike” (John 4:35-36)!

The planting and the harvesting cannot be separated from one another; the journeying and the arrival at the journey’s end are one and the same. The spiritual planting time and harvesting time have one destiny—people being brought to eternal life, the purpose of the pilgrimage process is our continued maturity in the spirit and our union with God. P. 16 Highway of Holiness: Soul Journey, Judith Lawrence.  

When the farmer plants his seeds in the spring of the year he hopes for the right conditions for favourable growth leading to a bumper harvest in the fall. When we are born here on earth we are God’s planting and God knows and sees already, at the time of our birth, the prospects of a good harvest.

Those who act as the farmers of these God-planted seeds will rejoice with those who tend our needs at the time of spiritual harvest. Parents, teachers, religious ministers who planted spiritual seeds within us at God’s direction will rejoice with those who assisted in our spiritual growth throughout our lives and those who bring us into eternal life at the time of spiritual harvest.

God who is the planter of the seed and the harvester of the crop will rejoice most of all, as we are brought to eternal life.

© Judith Lawrence Sept. 2011  

Goal of Soul Pilgrimage

The goal of a soul pilgrimage is to grow in spiritual maturity and become totally at one with God. In order to arrive at that goal we have to walk the daily pilgrimage path. We walk step by step, hour by hour, day by day, taking care to learn our spiritual lessons as they are presented to us along the way. Judith Lawrence. Highway ofHoliness: Soul Journey P. 15

Soul pilgrimage is not something to be rushed. The time allowed for this journey is God’s time. It is a slow, steady process that allows for us to learn the lessons presented to us by God in small steps. We learn the lessons by degrees, discovering different nuances as we are presented with the same lessons many times over.

When we are young we learn simple lessons with simple messages. As we journey along our spiritual path we meet up with the same lessons many times over and discover more depth and wisdom in the teachings each time we are confronted with the repeated messages.

We need never get tired of receiving the same lessons or get frustrated by going through the same curriculum. Each time we learn the same lessons we come closer to our spiritual maturity discovering the teaching’s many different facets.

© Judith Lawrence  

Seeing God with the Eye of the Soul

Let all that I am wait quietly before God. Ps 62:5a

In bringing my whole being—all that I am—before God and waiting quietly, I can begin to see beyond surface seeing: I can begin to see with the eye of the soul. In contemplation, the eye of the soul sees beyond the surface; it sees with depth and height; in breadth and length; out to the horizon and beyond where prayer is not trapped in a box of our conformity. The eye of the soul sees with unpredictability; it sees God untamed by human images; it sees God in out of the ordinary reflections. The eye of the soul sees things in the wild, in the wilderness, and beyond the ordinary, where wild creatures, blossoms, and ideas are seen through God’s amazing freedom, in all the Creator’s beauty and generosity. P.12 Highway of Holiness: Soul Journey, by Judith Lawrence

Hold a small pebble, a small flower, or a small leaf in your hands. Concentrate the eye of your soul on this small creation by God. Concentrate all that you are on this small creation and see God in all God’s beauty, love, generosity, and glorious humility. Just wait quietly and see God’s humble power in this glorious one-of-a-kind creation. Know that God made you with this same one-of-a-kind creativity and give thanks for the sacredness with which you are blessed. 

c Judith Lawrence