To my feeling this final complete passing over of consciousness from the mind to the soul is by act and will of God alone, and cannot be performed by will of the creature, and is the fundamental difference between the contemplation of Nature and the contemplation of God. The creature worships, but the soul alone knows contact.
Lilian Staveley (1878-1928) was an Anglican laywoman whose inward spiritual life remained hidden even from her closest friends and family members until after her death,
Her amazing thoughts grabbed me this morning. "the soul alone knows contact." It seems to me that what our inner yearning draws us toward is The Contact, The Knowing by experience that God is and is with us and in us, that we are not spiritual orphans after all.
As I look upon my own life, at those Holy moments of Contact, it is clear to me, has always been clear to me, that I cannot make them happen. It is not by my will, it is a gift given by The Divine.
I can, however, prepare myself through service, mindfulness, prayer, contemplation and meditation to be open and receptive, so that Contact is more frequent and deeper.
The real treasures of life are those precious moments when the fog clears and there is God, God and I, we are one, enfolded in incredible Love, Peace flooding the mind until it is still, and suddenly we are One.
No, I cannot make it happen. I can prepare myself so when God wills it, wills me to Oneness, I am ready to receive Holy Contact.
Oh Divine Presence, reveal Yourself to me. Reach into my soul. Touch my innermost being. I yearn for Your Contact. I hunger to know You. Let it be so.
No comments:
Post a Comment