Every Sunday, after I get home still riding the high from an amazing service, I sit down to write this — and honestly, it’s always a bit of a challenge to put into words what I’m feeling. This morning really touched me. I was completely surprised when someone walked in who I hadn’t seen in decades — Marquerite Beyer, who I first met around 1991 when I was just starting out at Unity of Greater Portland. That was back when we were still in the little church-house on Columbia Road in Portland. What a wave of memories that brought back! Taking a stroll down memory lane is something else, isn’t it?
I can still hear Rev. LeRoy’s voice saying, “As long as we stay on the spiritual path, we’ll keep crossing paths — it’s all one big circle.” And speaking of Rev. LeRoy, tomorrow is his birthday, July 24. If you think of it, send him a little birthday love during your quiet time in the morning. I know he’ll feel it — and appreciate it.
On Sunday, the message really landed — not just for me, but for so many others. It was all about blessing what is. In Unity, we often say, “Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind.” But what about those times when our outer world doesn’t yet match the inner vision we’re holding?
What do we do when the healing hasn’t come… the relationship hasn’t mended… the harvest hasn’t arrived?
· We bless what is.
· We bless the waiting.
· We bless the uncertainty.
· We bless the soil — even when it looks barren.
Rev. Eric Butterworth reminds us in Spiritual Economics: “Prosperity is not something you acquire. It is something you tune into.”
And gratitude? Gratitude is the tuning fork. It brings us into harmony with the frequency of abundance — even before we see any evidence.
Emmet Fox, another great New Thought teacher, said: “You must not wait until things are just right before you begin to be grateful. Begin now, and you will find that things will begin to improve.”
Gratitude isn’t just a response — it’s a creative force. It’s how we say to the Universe: “I trust you. I see the good, even if it’s still in seed form.”
When we bless what is, we stop resisting life. We stop arguing with reality. And in that surrender, we make space for grace.
A Simple Practice: Blessing the Barren Soil
Here’s something you can try this week:
• Sit in stillness. Take a few deep breaths. Feel your body. Be here now.
• Name what is. Without judgment, just notice what is present: grief, joy, confusion, hope.
• Bless it. Say aloud or silently: “I bless this moment. I bless this feeling. I bless this part of my journey.”
• Give thanks. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s sacred. Because it’s yours. Because it’s real.
This is how we plant seeds in barren soil. This is how we activate abundance — not by force, but by faith.
If you missed the service on Sunday or need a refresher, you can watch it here.
Next Sunday we conclude the series “Cultivating the Inner Shift” with the message The Currency of Connection: Love as Wealth: How sacred relationships multiply prosperity in community.
In a world that often measures wealth in dollars and possessions, we are invited to remember a deeper truth: our greatest prosperity flows through connection — through the sacred relationships we cultivate with one another and with the Divine.
Just a little reminder to join me and others this Friday evening for a special gathering with Vanessa Gates-Elston as we honor the Mayan Day Out of Time. This is a sacred pause — a day outside the calendar — where we’re invited to step into a timeless space of awakening, clarity, and Unity Consciousness.
It’s a chance to align more deeply with Source and open us to something truly transformative.
This will be a brand-new experience for me — and I imagine for many of you as well. So let’s step into this ritual together with open hearts and curious spirits. I have a feeling it’s going to be something meaningful.
I’m deeply grateful for each of you taking the time to read this. You truly are special!
You are a blessing in my life,
Rev. Patricia Bessey
