Journey of Courage and Faith

Pathway

Your soul will move you always deeper within yourself. You cannot stop that process any more than you can stop aging.…[T]he mystic in you longs to go home; it longs to stop running from a fear of chaos.…You want to trust life itself and the God that gave you life. You want to surrender yourself into that same cosmic trust that the mystics had—and have—that your needs will be met. You want to find your highest potential. You want to heal from the burdens of resentment.…

Ultimately, this is a journey about personal courage and faith; your soul knew long before now that you would inevitably enter your Castle [the Castle that is you]. Caroline Myss Entering the Castle Page 79

Odessa Monastery

When I entered an Anglican Convent in 1964, I did so believing that I would never leave there again. I wholeheartedly gave my self to God and, in 1971 I made my final vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to God, within the Order of St. John the Divine in Toronto, Canada.

I felt called to become a nun and followed that call. No one was more surprised than I was when I felt called to leave the convent in 1980. As Caroline Myss said, in the quoted words above, “Your soul will move you always deeper within yourself. You cannot stop that process any more than you can stop aging.”

I felt called to enter the convent; I felt called by God to leave the convent and enter into the world once more. God had much to teach me in the convent; I learned much about my own short-comings, both spiritual and emotional; I grew in love of God and love of others; but God had so much more to teach me and God showed me that I could not learn more of God’s teachings where I was. I had to leave everything behind and follow Our Lord.

I had to surrender and trust myself to God knowing that my needs would be met even though all my supports had been cut away. It was not without sorrow and guilt that I left the convent, my vows, and my old life within the community of sisters where I had everything and wanted for nothing. God’s ways are not always straightforward. I was taken on a way that I had not expected but my soul leads me ever on to a deeper union with God through a journey of courage and faith.

© Judith Lawrence

Replacing Fear with Faith and Compassion

Odessa Monastery

To be a mystic without a monastery means that you make a conscious decision to stop being motivated by fear—fear that you don’t have enough, that you have to have more to meet your basic needs. And you replace that fear with faith and compassion. In effect, you become a powerful instrument of God’s grace. Infused with a force greater than our own—a divine intention, assistance, or insight that is spiritually rejuvenating—grace is energy that can fill you with luminous awareness different from everyday consciousness. It motivates your spirit and lights your path within. Caroline Myss Entering the Castle Page 37

There is no room for fear in love. 1 John 4: 18

We are looking to live a life without fear and to live a life motivated by love.

As Caroline Myss says, “You replace that fear with faith and compassion.” And John says that you must replace fear with love.

Bottom line is that we must consciously stop being afraid of living a life of poverty whether monetary or spiritual poverty and start accepting a life of spiritual abundance.

Jesus says, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.        John 10: 10

July Flower Garden, Day Lily

While we live our lives here on earth we can choose to live in fear or we can choose to live an abundant life of love given to us by God. A life of abundance means a life filled with love and this can be so whether one is poor in goods, money, or health.

An outward physical life of poverty does not mean that we are denied an inward life of abundance. The difference is whether we are filled with fear or with love, faith, and compassion.

We can be rich in our outward lives but still live inwardly poverty-stricken lives if we are filled with fear.

Receive God’s gift of the abundant life of love whether you are physically rich or poor and you will be infused with the power of God’s grace.

© Judith Lawrence

Keep On Keeping On

It is a spiritual law that no loss is without meaning in all of creation.

Because creativity is a spiritual issue, injuries to that creativity are spiritual wounds. [A]n artist’s anguished prayers are always answered by the Great Creator. Even as we sob, “I can’t go on,” we are going on, and we are going on with spiritual assistance. Julia Cameron Walking in This World Page 244

Walking in the Wind

All of human life is a life of creativity. Each new day brings a new creation; each morning when we get out of bed we will be presented with new challenges for which we must find creative answers.

Sometimes life is extremely difficult and we may indeed cry out, “I can’t go on.” Whether we are facing an illness, a new marriage, or the loss of a loved one; whether we have had our manuscript turned down by a publisher, received a D for the school assignment we worked so hard on, or came in last in the swim meet, the disappointment and loss may be so overwhelming that we don’t think we will be able to try to do it again.

These wounds are more than physical, mental, or emotional—they are wounds to your soul and spirit and, as such, require prayers to be uttered for spiritual strength to be given you so that you can continue on with your life’s calling and challenges.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion, says St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.…Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Eph: 6 New Living Translation.

Keep on keeping on with God at your side; as it says in another translation of the words of St. Paul, “Stand firm therefore and, having done all, stand.”

©Judith Lawrence  

Be Open to Receive God’s Plan for You

I believe that the divine is everywhere and exists within even the most intimate details of our lives. All that we experience today has its purpose in tomorrow’s events; sometimes the purpose is not evident for years of tomorrows. Yet, God prepares you for your spiritual journey, no matter how complicated, painful, or demanding it might become. For this reason, patience, trust, and faith must become constants for you. You cannot, and indeed you must not, even attempt to believe you know what is best for you. The divine will reveal its plan for you; you have to be open to receive it. Caroline Myss, Entering the Castle, P.3

If God prepares us in today’s happenings for what is to come in the future this must mean that God knows what is going to happen to us—whether what is to come into our lives is good or bad, God knows it and prepares us and trains us for what is to happen.

God prepares us as we go through our lives for whatever is to come upon us—illness or health, complicated or simple, demanding or easy. You may think that being healthy is better than being sick but if you are the healthy one you will probably have the burden of being the caregiver for others in the family. You may think that you would be happier having the simple or easy tasks to perform in life but if this is your lot you may desire to have more recognition that would come your way if you had the more complicated or demanding tasks or your spouse or your friend.

Whatever side of life you are presented with, you have to have the patience, trust, and faith in God that what is best for you is what you will be given. As you go along your spiritual journey you need to be open to receive God’s plan and trust that what happens to you is the best gift for your spiritual growth, given to you in God’s love.

© Judith Lawrence