When you have been living for so long within a certain system of beliefs, change and growth can be, well, a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Similar to say, coming out of slavery after hundreds of years.
These things that enslave us, metaphorically speaking, they can be stuck, lodged, in our bodies, both physical and energetic. Sometimes they are manifestations of choices or agreements we have made in present time or our current lives but more than likely they are connected to or have come to us from generations, lifetimes ago. These stories have been written in our books, tattooed on our psyches, engraved in our hearts, stored in our souls, tethered to our ankles or wrists. They truly bind us.
They terrorize us.
They stop us.
They blind us.
But, they are not us.
And that acknowledgement is a step towards the journey to freedom.
Right now is a tremendous time on so many levels and in so many ways, no matter what your religion or spiritual conviction, no matter who you are, to create CHANGE. To let go of that which is no longer serving you and move into, rather, dive head first into the life you are craving to create. The life you must live. The life you were made to have. Your Offering.
So where are you on your journey to Freedom?
Maybe right now you are in Pharaoh consciousness. From where you sit, the world looks as it should. You've got it "under control". Yet, you live your life instilling fear in everyone around you, including yourself. This is how I've been taught, this is how it's always been done, you tell yourself. Yet you hear the voices calling to you, there is another way, they say. You are not ready to listen, not yet.
Or maybe right now you are in Israelite consciousness. You know there can be a different life, you know there is something more. You can see yourself in this new life, you can taste it, you can feel it, you want your children to live this way, but you feel powerless to change the circumstances surrounding you. So you keep going, waiting for the day your prayers will be answered. You work hard, you do your best, but you feel the heavy weight of what is missing in your life. You continue to practice faith, practice prayer, and hold on tight to your community. You are ready for the next step.
Or maybe right now you are in Moses consciousness. A bit timid, maybe, but certainly humble and proud. You recognize your fears, you hear your self doubt, at times you are unsure of what move to make. But you are filled with faith, with strength. You are grounded in your conviction. You know the voice that will prevail is the still small voice inside of you, echoing your most sacred heart. So you make your move and find courage to step out into the unknown, listening to your guides, and doing what you are called to do. You are ready.
No matter what space you are in, no matter where you are currently sitting, there is more awaiting you. More surprises, more opportunities, more miracles. All for your highest good.
What we know from our wise Passover story is that ahead there may be doubt, frustration, fear of failure, desire to give up, to retreat. There may be tests, agreements we create to push ourselves to become more. There may quite possibly be an entire (metaphoric) sea to cross. There may be endless days and nights of searching. And certainly there will be time to ponder, to pray, to cry, to learn, to yearn, and finally to enter a new territory.
But you know what I'm wondering? What if in these changing times there is a new story to write, about moving away from that which bonds us?
What if with all the shifts happening and all the resources available to each one of us, this challenging journey wouldn't have to last for 40 years, or forty lifetimes or even 40 days?
What if while we are wandering into our hearts and our souls, seeking to free ourselves, our hands could simply hold into the light the aspects of ourselves which have sat in darkness and in shadow and we could merely ask for the blessing of Freedom and it would just Be? Another sort of offering, perhaps?
What if with the power of our Self-Love and the power of Grace we could transform those old stories and watch them shift in our bodies, releasing from our space?
What if while we sit in meditation, or by a lake, or with our loved ones, or on a mountaintop, or in the bath, or with our therapist, or anywhere we feel safe, we could continue to let go of, to surrender those engravings, those tattoos, those shackles, to the One to Spirit to Love?
What if while observing those old pictures gently but eagerly ooze our of our being, we could sit and breathe new life into our cells? And what if by doing so those past triggers won't unlock the same doors, the same responses? The keys simply won't work anymore, there will be new pathways emerging, the keys will open a new door. One that is molded the way of our conscious choosing.
Then maybe we can begin to write a new book for ourselves about Presence and Patience and Certainty and Gratitude and what it means to Thrive In Joy.
Now that sounds like a promised land to me.
Amen.
