By: Vince DiPasquale
Quite a few years ago I was spending time sitting on a beach looking at the ocean observing the beauty of God’s creation, when the thought came to me about the wonderful journey we all are on, called life. Each day as I awake, I am given the most wonderful gift ~ another day to live, play and try to be open to my connection to God and his will. As I say my prayers of gratitude and openness, I often reflect on the great mystery of life from birth to death.
Let’s try now to go on a journey into our mother’s womb right before birth. Visualize yourself as you are forming and developing and as you get ready for your birth into this world. You experience your first struggle which gets you ready for life’s experience. The journey of birth is not easy for you or for your mother. A part of you is excited and ready and a part of you doesn’t want to leave. We are being taught the ultimate journey of life from fear to love. Right before we enter into the world our Higher Power reminds us that we do not have to make this journey alone. Our Higher Power gives the energy and gift of love to help us face our fears so at the moment of birth we have all we need for our journey.
As we, God’s children, enter into this world we experience our parents and family as our first teachers. We realize at first, we are dependent on them and the world around us. Through them we are introduced to words such as dysfunctionality, addiction, loss and at the same time, the words joy, laughter and the wonderful world of relationships. We are taught that all relationships are gifts and have a mixture of all these experiences. Let’s take time now to go on what I call the ultimate relationship, the one we have with ourselves.
As we go through the journey of life we will have many experiences, both healthy and unhealthy. Each experience is a gift from God to help us to rediscover the strength and beauty of the lessons they bring to our personal growth. We are being taught how to tap the beautiful energy of love we have within us. Like the 2nd Step tells us, “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity”. Fear and periods of insanity help us to experience the fact that we are all on that journey of self-discovery and self-love. Fear and struggle are really gifts that are given to us to help us in our growth. Everything in life we go through brings us to a better sense of self. We all must learn the lesson that life is to be lived. Don’t be afraid. Pray every day that we can look at all of life’s experiences as a chance to continue on the journey of life. We are involved in the ultimate relationship. We are never done. A reminder that there are no absolutes because everything is a process. Let’s try to be open to the process.
As I look back on my own journey, I realize today that God has always walked along side of me. He is always trying to tell me, “Do not be afraid, I am with you always”. The God of my understanding, who I choose to call The Boss, is my spiritual guide that sent me so many teachers on my journey. My parents and family were my first teachers and they were dysfunctional, just as I am. To be dysfunctional is to be human so welcome to the human race. Over the past 83 years, God has sent some very special people to carry His message to me. It took a long time, a lot of stubbornness until I was ready to listen. I realize that fear, control and expectations mask the beautiful energy of love that we all have within us. Let’s all try as we enter the fall season to look at all things through positive eyes. All things happen for a reason. Anxiety, fear, tension and struggle all teach us that we must at times experience fear so that we can rediscover love. As my father always said, “You don’t know what it is to get up until you fall down”. Reflect on the struggle of your first journey into this world. As we go through life’s journey the ultimate relationship in life is our personal journey with self. Remember the beautiful words of the Serenity Prayer. “God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference”.
Enjoy the ride and be open to the journey. May God be with you as your co-pilot. Remember God is pure love and we are His creations. God bless!
