by Vince DiPasquale
October is the month to renew our relationship with our Creator, the God of our understanding. All of us are on a spiritual journey. We already know our Creator, but on the journey of life our ego (Ease God Out) conflicts with our spirit so we have to continue to rediscover the spirit of our Creator. In the understanding of the Tao we are told our relationship with our Creator is rediscovered such as we meet in each moment of life, each circumstance, each person, and each situation we experience. We find our Creator trying to help us in our humanness to discover our potential and be open to the message that we are being taught. We are learning that God is in our pocket. We can call it faith. Sometimes we have to lose something so that we can once again discover it. In my personal history God has given me so many people who came into my life to be my teachers.
Recently I had the privilege to experience a very special young lady who just made the journey back to her Creator. She struggled and suffered from cancer. Her attitude through the disease was so positive. She chose to face life and live. She prepared for her journey by cherishing and celebrating each minute of her life. She taught me that every moment of life should be lived as our last. In our recovery program we are taught, “One day at a time.” We try to face adversity with a positive attitude, always remembering that God is in our pocket. Our Creator travels with us though life. We are taught to let go and let God and we go along for the journey. All of the people in our life are with us as God’s teachers. In life we all experience a balance of negative and positive. Always remember for every negative there is a positive even though it may take time to discover it. We are taught to “trust the process” which will help us to live our journey on the earth in peace and serenity.
At some point your relationship with God will become like this:
Next time you meet Him in the forest or on a crowded city street
There won’t be anymore “Leaving.”
That is, God will climb into your pocket.
You will simply just take yourself along!
People often ask me if I regret my past and my answer is no. Each experience from my crazy, wonderful Italian upbringing to the journey of my life today is a privilege for me to have been given this journey by my Creator. I would like to share this part of it with you. I have been privileged to have many special people come into my life to be my teachers. My first teachers were my parents and my family. They gave me love and shared the God of their understanding with me. I always joke that my Italian heritage gave me a Ph.D. in fear and guilt. I thank them today however for all the lessons I learned in dealing with life. They taught me the value of sharing, how to let go of control, the gift of faith, and to be able to be open to God of my understanding. They, like me, would win awards for dysfunctionality. As a result, I am more open to look at this word, dysfunctionality, as a normal part of life. Don’t be afraid to face it, embrace it and let it become your teacher. Thank you to my family for all the lessons I have learned.
Thank you to Morgan and Jack who were my mentors when I was introduced to recovery and the 12 Steps. They were my spiritual teachers. Even with twelve years in the seminary and degrees in theology, I learned more from those two beautiful men about spirituality. Thank you, God, for the gift of their wisdom.
God also sent me a very special lady in my life, my wife and best friend who helped me to change my whole direction in life. She helped me to become open to new areas in health service. She had allowed me to experience three wonderful stepdaughters and seven beautiful grandchildren, all of whom are a special part of my spiritual journey today. Thank you, God, for these special teachers.
Finally, my Starting Point family, who over the 42 years, God has given me the privilege and honor of touching and being touched by so many people. I thank God for the gift of being able to be of service to others. Thank you, family, for your love and trust. Thank you, God, for these special people.
All growth takes place in family systems, not in isolation. I would like to thank God for all the families I have had the privilege of being part of over the past 80 years of my life. Remember each one of us are God’s creations. Try to look at each situation in life with the energy of healing and love. October is a time to renew our connection to our Creator in our pockets. Let’s live this month with the spirit of gratitude and openness and be grateful for our history, for the day and to be open to whatever the future will bring us. Enjoy the fall season!
God bless us all!
