God's Presence & God's Presents

I've had many wake up calls in my life, some which felt like soft whispers asking me "is this all there is?" and others that felt like sharp blows to my head.  Looking back I can see that God/Spirit/Universe had knocked softly on my door for a long time.  Each time, I was invited to open the door to inner tranquility.  When I failed to open the door, I summoned God to break the door down.

I've sometimes shared of my sister and the dream that I should not miss her wedding shortly before her death.  Then, about 20 years later, I was diagnosed with a massive tumor on the right side of my face and after it was removed I lost all facial expression including the ability to blink my eye.  Following this, my wife Stephanie and I were both urged to sell our home in California and move to Boulder, CO with our two small children.  Each time, I listened carefully to the message God/Universe was bringing me.  On some level, I'd reached out to God to share my soul's desire and then God responded by bringing a dream or inspiration into my life that altered the course of my life...going to my sister's wedding so I could share precious moments with her before she died, helping me to heal my face but to first experience firsthand what it was like to live with a major disability, and then gathering the strength and courage to move my family 1,000 miles away from friends and grandparents so I could live in a community supporting me, my family and my work.

In each case I could feel God's "Presence" and God's "Presents". 

I feel God's Presence when I quiet the outer world around me and connect with my inner world, my sanctuary, where I feel God's deep love for me and for all people.  This is always very calming.  It is almost as though I can feel someone holding me in a very gentle and loving way.  It feels very cleansing and nurturing.  When I center myself here, there is never any judgment or anything detracting from the peace and joy that I feel. 

I believe our invitation is to live in this sanctuary, a long, long way from worldly noises such as the media, internet and telephone.  Of course, I don't mean living off on a mountain as a hermit though this can work for some.  I mean consciously making the decision to prioritize my inner world connection and basing my living from here rather than prioritizing outer world noise and distraction.

When I remain connected and present to God's perfect health and wellbeing I call this in.  I know this is Who I Really Am.  Good things come to me.  I receive God's Presents.  All parts of my life are nurtured, my Self, my relationship with: my wife, my son, my daughter, my family, my community and my professional life.  I receive God's inspirations, healing, guidance and support.  I am filled up with God's love, joy and peace and I am replenished.  The pressures, stresses and strains from daily living fall away.  I see that I am Unity, Oneness, abundance and blessing.  I am acceptance and gratitude.  I am innocence and I am perfect health.  I also see what I am not....the outer world in which I live, undisciplined living, living without faith, and most importantly, I see I am no longer a sleep walker because I know who I am.  I live in gratitude for God, who I am, and the bright future that is ahead for me and our planet.    

Needless to say, in God's world, there is no "borrowing to build".  It had been my custom earlier in my life to borrow time from my family to think about and plan professional activities in the evening and on weekends.  I now realize God's Presents only come to me when I am present.  Leaving the present to plan for the future violates this rule.  I lose.  I'm getting better and better and remaining in the present with my family so I may enjoy the gift that each moment brings me.

I'm going to share more about God's Presents in my professional life because things happened to me that are truly amazing.  Years ago, when I was Chief Executive Officer of a company I had founded, I threw out many of my business practices and day planner.  When I did this, I felt sure I'd crash my company.  It felt dangerous to throw out common business tools but I felt I was not being true to myself using these tools.  I felt I must live in integrity but I felt my company might pay the price.  Nothing could have been further from the truth.  My business thrived.  Looking back, I can see why.  I became a better listener, more patient, more compassionate and better connected to the person I was speaking with.  Needless to say, my customers and employees loved this.  My business that was already thriving hit a new inflection point and grew at a whole new level.

I'm saving the best Present for last.  It is the Present involving my Self.  I realized the Loving, Sacred and Divine Presence that was here FOR me was also IN me, in you, and in everything.  What scientist have shared is true: there is a great Singularity.  What spiritualists and the founders of some of the world's religious traditions have shared is true, our greatest blessing is our Spiritual birth certificate.  We are born in the image and likeness of God.  We are part of God.  We are all interconnected and interdependent.  We Are All One.

This brings us full circle to living in God's Presence and God's Presents.  I'm convinced that breaking free from noisy outer world living and living in our inner world--connected to God--is the gift that transforms our individual and collective lives.  We may live in Divine Love, Peace and Harmony and so may our world when we do this together and in unison.  It is truly a gift from God!

All my love,
Steve

Posted Září 30th, 2008 by Philippe Pasqualini