There are some things that never get old or feel burdensome, and writing Heart Thoughts each week is one of those things. I look forward to sharing with you the awesomeness of this community and often-times singling out an individual who has made a difference in our community.
This week that person is near and dear to me… it is our beloved, Rev. LeRoy. On Friday, July 24 he celebrates his 78th birthday. That is special in and of itself; however, it has even more meaningful for us personally as it was on July 24, 1990 that we had our first official date. We met at Unity of Greater Portland in early 1990 and spent many a morning during Lent in meditation with others in the community from 7 to 7:30 a.m. We would then share a cup of coffee with Rev. Audrey McGinnis before I would head off to work.
Our history with this community, now Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, has been a long one and very fulfilling. Although his visibility in the community has diminished somewhat, he still is my confidant and advisor when it comes to church affairs. He holds the long view when I am thinking immediate… he helps expand my vision and will support me in whatever the endeavor might be.
I had hoped to set up a fundraiser on Facebook for his birthday; however, for some reason, I can’t get the church’s name as the non-profit, even though I have submitted the paperwork required. So, this is the second-best way to do it… I am hoping to raise $780 in his name for Unity Center for Spiritual Growth. If you would like to give a gift, please donate and indicate for Rev. LeRoy during checkout.
We are in the home stretch with the book What’s in the Way IS the Way that has taken us through 10 weeks of great material. On Sunday the lesson was the Song of the Heart. I shared a personal experience that I had during the week, of which I was not proud in how I handled it… however, when I read the opening paragraph of the chapter, I could give myself a mulligan. Author, Mary O’Malley wrote: “Will your clouds of struggle dissolve all of a sudden when you recognize what is being offered in this book? That has not been my experience or the experience of 99.9 percent of the people I have known over the years. It is as Stephen Levine once described it, a gradual awakening. When asked by someone how long it would take, he responded by saying, “This is the work of a lifetime.”
This chapter is condensed into “Four Lets”…
• Let Life
• Let it be
• Let it go
• Let go
O’Malley says: “Through the Four Lets, we have been exploring the most important choice a human being has: the choice to use the mind to control or to connect. In fact, this is the only true choice you have. It is either mind or moment. You either give attention to all the stories and spells in your head that make up your clouds of struggle, or you allow your life to unfold, giving it your passionate and compassionate attention, interacting with it in a natural way. There will always be challenges, but Life is a lot easier when you relax into it enough to dance with Life, rather than living from your spells.”
The song of our heart is when we allow our heart to be our guiding force. When we allow ourselves to drop into our heart and live from there, we:
• value being real
• speak our truth
• respond instead of react
• are curious about what is
• seek more time for quiet and stillness
• are present for others and listen
• are not asserting our position
The more our mind gets enfolded in our heart, the more we experience the life we have been longing for. Loving and being loved comes with ease… the joy of seeing Love everywhere.
Next week we finish up with “Awakening for Life.”
You are a blessing in my life,
Rev. Patricia Bessey
