Wow! If you didn’t read yesterday’s post, please go back and
read it. It was one of those unique experiences of beginning in one place and
truly being led to go another direction. I began by referencing my mother and a
conversation we recently had and continued to tell the miraculously story of
her deliverance from crack cocaine (no rehab…just prayer). Now, I certainly have nothing against
rehab and in fact would highly recommend it, however it hadn’t worked for my
mother and our family was quite hopeless….but
GOD.
Today, I pick up where I left off yesterday, simply
explaining that my mother has become one of my biggest teachers. Seeing her
spiritual growth has encouraged me in ways unimaginable, as she often remarks
that she loves to tell her story and share her spiritual journey. In saying
that the other day, I responded by reminding her that one of my favorite scriptures
instructs that we have overcome by the “word of our testimony” (Revelations
12:11). Therefore, every time we share
our story, we get to experience that victory over and over again in
addition to helping someone experience his or her own triumph. Having said
that, I’d like to share a couple of examples of my own experiences in what I
like to call “meditated listening,” in hopes that my testimony will help you.
A couple of days ago I shared some practical tips to
listening for the God-voice within and techniques to paying attention to the
leading of our souls. I explained
that many things might bubble up, some of them strange, but I also cautioned
you not to judge them, just to hear them and take them in. (Note: I know I’m
not suppose to end a sentence with a preposition, but I want this blog to be
more conversational, so please forgive me). Now, I want to share with you a
time or two that I have experienced great insight through my own process of
meditated listening.
Just the other day, I recognized that I was carrying offense
in me against a couple of people and a couple of organizations that I thought
had not treated me well. Although I realized that it had all worked out in my
favor, I still experienced a little tinge of resentment or hard feelings in my
thoughts toward them (also note, that one has to be well in touch with their
own feelings to even recognize this as an issue and not justify it).
So, I brought this to with me during my meditated listening
time, asking God/the Universe to remove it. As I sat meditating, images of three other friends came to mind,
each of whom had recently experienced really good news. What is this about??? Well, I began to see that I had drank a
little “hater-ade” and my
uncomfortable feelings about all of them was grounded in a deep rooted fear of
rejection and simply being left-out.
I felt all of the aforementioned persons and organizations had moved forward in
a way that made me either feel rejected or left-out and therefore inadequate.
Once I recognized this, I
immediately began to picture each person (all five of them…damn!) completely happy and joyful…and then in the
recesses of my heart, I blessed them. I sincerely and honestly wished them
all the best, after which I continued to sink deeply in the stillness of my
soul while a variety of thoughts of inspiration began to fill my mind and body,
making me feel safe and loved and offering me glimpses of my future (but I
think I’ll keep those to myself J).
However, needless to say, I finished my meditation time feeling empowered and
healed and joyful!
I fear this post is already too long, so I’ll forego the
second example and end here (for more conversation please post below and we’ll
keep the conversation going), but you get the point, right? I hope I’ve offered
a more practical example of how meditated listening can work to bring peace and
love and healing to you. In conclusion, please don’t just read these words, but please work it! Remember, you
are responsible for you life, so take it by the horns, knowing…….
This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not
behind you, they are ahead of you. These tips and techniques are for you but they’ll only work if you
work them. So, stay encouraged, and keep your head up because, as always, there
are #bigthingscoming!
Keep on Workin’ It!
~Ray
NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read
my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments here
and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash tag
#bigthingscoming.
(Copyright,
2013, Ray Jordan)
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