April-June, 2019
At the beginning of 2019, I set my intention to bring love into the world. I considered how I could do this and thought of kindness, compassion, smiles, listening, affirming others. As I carried love into the new year, I felt more joy, love, and peace. My hourly mantra was “I am love.”
Last week I was reading a book called The Miracle of Real Forgiveness by Tom Carpenter. A passage from the book jumped out at me. Tom suggested we ask, “Holy Spirit, teach me how to love.” I felt drawn to it, and then I thought… “Hmmm ..... I already know how to love.” But I did it anyway.
Every hour I would stop and say, “Holy Spirit, teach me how to love.” And my experience of extending love grew in ways I never would have guessed.
I live in a large apartment complex with many neighbors, and have been treating them as friends even though I don’t know many of them. I have engaged them in conversation, smiled, and helped them in anyway that seemed appropriate.
There is one girl who I don’t know, and I said to her “Hi, are you new here?” She turned to me and said with an angry scowl on her face, “You already know that!” Then I asked what her name was, and she said “Why do you want to know?” I became frightened and decided to say nothing to her in the future.
Then I saw her last week, and we shared the tiny elevator together. She had the usual scowl on her face, and so I turned inward and said “Holy Spirit, teach me how to love.”
Then a thought came to me ... “Send her silent blessings.” And so I thought “I bless you in your joy, I bless you in your peace, I bless you in your happiness.” And as the elevator reached the ground floor she turned to me and smiled, and I smiled back. Thank you Holy Spirit.
A few days ago I was at home and my partner’s phone rang. She answered the phone ... made a grimacing expression ... and handed me the phone. On the other end was a neighbor who has mental health issues, and was screaming down the line. All I could understand was “Help me!!!” So I put on my shoes and went over to her apartment.
On the way I said, “Holy Spirit, teach me how to love.” As I walked in she was screaming so loud I couldn’t understand what she wanted. I asked her what was wrong, and all she could do was point to a dozen eggs broken on the floor.
I got a broom to clean it up and she screamed even louder, and pointed to a mop on the balcony. I got the mop and cleaned up the eggs, and then went over to her, sat down next to her, and held her hand. And a few moments later she calmed down.
I’m starting to see that as we bring love into the world, our world changes. Thank you Holy Spirit.
Rev. Dan Strodl is a Pathways of Light minister and publisher of Miracle Worker magazine in London, UK. His email is: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Visit Miracle Network online at www@.Miracles.org.uk
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