"O Captain! My Captain!"

This past week I got word that one of my dear uncles is dealing with some very challenging health issues.  He and my aunt were a big part of my support/care system when I was growing up. They each made me feel loved, important and embraced.

Since I'm not able to make the trip to visit him right now, I wrote this valued family member a personal message of gratitude for all that he and my aunt have done for me over the years. One recollection that I shared with this man, who served his country proudly in the Navy during WWII and who then taught me how to safely drive a pleasure boat, was the selflessness and gentle strength that he demonstrated to me on the waters of Long Island Sound. By turning over control of his vessel to me, he reinforced my abilities and capabilities.

After reminiscing and offering him gratitude, I then moved on to share a spiritual message with my uncle that I hope will inspire him to, once again, be the captain of his ship as he navigates these choppy waters.

***

My dear uncle, I’d like to share some things that I know for sure:

I’m guessing that you know that I’m a spiritual person.  Not necessarily religious because of the way many church honchos have decided who and who will not receives God’s blessing. I’ve said “Phooey” to them, and have found the direct line to Jesus and the Holy Spirit, thus eliminating the middleman. 

Here are just a few things that Jesus and/or the Holy Spirit have communicated to me. What they’ve shared with me holds true for you and everyone else.

• We are One with God.  So, believing in this truism the only conclusion is that we are as God is.  We are Peace, Joy, Truth and Love. We are Eternal! If God always was and always shall be, then so are we.  If God is Spirit, then so are we.  We take on these bodies while we’re on earth so that we have a means of symbolically communicating with each other, a way of extending our love, and a means by which we can learn our lesson of forgiveness.  But we are not our bodies. We are spirit directly connected with God…as One.

• Miracles do occur!  Healing happens at the level of the mind.  If what we perceive we choose to believe, then too often we are allowing ourselves to be victims.  But if we reverse that phrase…and more importantly that belief, then we take hold of the wheel and steer our ship in the direction in which we want it to go. So instead think, What we believe, we perceive!

If we believe our bodies are sick, we reinforce that belief  and we perceive sickness. But, if we say, “Forget it.  I'm not believing that and I choose not to perceive that!  My right-thinking puts me in charge here!!” Then, we become the captains of our ship.  We activate the miracle by appealing to the liaison to the Commander-in-Chief by asking,

“Holy Spirit/Jesus, please help me to see this situation differently.   I don’t know how you’re going to do this, 

but I believe that you can and you will.” 

Then rest and believe.  

Let the Holy Spirit/Jesus take over from there.  And through your belief system have faith that they will do what God ordains them to do.

God’s Peace will be your peace.  God's Grace will be your grace. God's Wholeness will be your wholeness.  All you need to do is ask, believe, still your mind and receive.

"Seek and ye shall find

Knock and the door shall be opened. 

Ask and it shall be given 

As His love comes tumbling down.”

 Photos by Barb Adams (c) 2014

The title, "O Captain, My Captain," is borrowed from the poem of the same title by Walt Whitman (A fellow Long Islander.)

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Through the Fog I Heard His Voice

The fog was thick and in the darkness I felt afraid.  Ghoulish images crossed my path and my instinct was to attack. I felt that if I could scream loud enough and swipe fast enough, I could rid myself of those demons. But my voice seemed to be sucked into a vast vacuum and my arms felt numb. I could barely move.

“Am I dreaming?” I heard myself ask. Yet, to whom was I speaking?

I started to cry. “I’m so scared,” I sobbed…to seemingly no one.

The fog only got thicker. My fear only intensified. And I fell deeper into the dream.

“I love you,” I faintly heard.

“What?” I asked, as I rubbed my eyes and looked around.

“I love you,” whispered the Voice.

“Who are You?” I asked as I quickly turned to see Who was speaking to me.  “And, what do You want?”

“I want you to remember who you truly are, that you were made from Love, that you are Love.  Know this and your fear will vanish.”

“What?  Who are You?”

“I am Love and I created you. 

“What?”

“You don’t have to live in that dream, in that nightmare.  But, it is your choice,” said the Voice.  “I have been calling to you through the fog, but you have continued to turn and run away. The farther you have ventured from My Voice, the more fearful you have become. Come home to Me. Come home to yourself. Then, you shall awaken and know the Truth.”

“I’m afraid!” I whimpered.

“And where has your fear taken you, but only deeper into the fog; into the nightmare.  Has that abolished your fear or simply intensified it?”

“Well, its....wait! How do I know that I can trust You?”

“Do you trust Fear? the Voice asked.

“No. Of course not.”

“Then, why do you follow him?”

“I don’t follow him!  I make up my own mind.”

“Yes, you do,” said the Voice.  “You make up your mind that you’d rather live in fear than in peace and joy.  It is by your decisions that you follow him.

“Hmmm, you’ve got a point there.  But, I don’t know You.  Why would I follow You?”

“Of course you know Me,” the Voice said ever so gently.  “I am your Joy.  I am your Peace.  I am Love and I created you in My Image.  What is there not to trust?”

“Uh, I don’t know.  What do I have to do?” I asked hesitantly.

“It’s simple,” said the Voice. All I ask is that you forgive yourself for what you perceive as your errors, and forgive your brothers and sisters for what you perceive as theirs.”

“Are you kidding me here?”  I said incredulously.  “I have sinned and there’s no way I can forgive myself for what I’ve done.  And forgive my brothers and sisters? That won't happen!  Not the way they’ve hurt me!”

“And by holding on to those grievances, and by punishing yourself,” asked the Voice, “has that made things better? Do you feel more peaceful, more joyful and loving?”

“Of course not!” I scolded.  But I can’t forgive myself for what I’ve done, and I’ll never let those guys off the hook.  They hurt me too badly.”

As those word poured out of my mouth, I began to sob uncontrollably.  “Dear Lord, help me,” I pleaded.

“Peace be with you,” the Voice breathed into me.

At once I felt my chest release. My crying subsided. “Wait, what did you just do?” I asked the Voice.

“I gave you My Peace,” came His reply.

“But…how did you do that?

“Easily,” said the Voice.  “You had a moment when you began to believe again. It was then that you were able to feel my Love.”

“Oh…my…God!” I said.

“Yes,” said the Voice.”

I laughed. The fog was lifting and I felt more awake. My mind was at peace.

“OK,” I said.  “I’ll give this thing a try, but you have to promise me that you’ll hang with me while I’m figuring all of this out.”

“No prob,” said the Voice.

I smiled.