I love the omnipresence of God. I’ve been contemplating this a lot lately and have come to revel in my awareness that God is everywhere, all of the time. This belief in the omnipresence of God is a common thread running through almost all of the major religions and if you’ve had any kind of religious training you’ve probably come across this teaching. I enjoy the fact that most of us can agree upon this. When different belief systems and religions agree upon something, I take notice and find it to be very interesting and also rather comforting.
Years ago, even though I had been taught about the omnipresence of God, I somehow got the impression that God was only with certain people - the super-spiritual, hyper-religious folks in particular, or those who had performed the required formulaic steps for receiving God. I am relieved now to understand and grasp the belief that God doesn’t pick and choose where S/he is present based on any performance on our part. God is a God of extravagant grace and S/he doesn’t play favorites. Omnipresence means everywhere, so regardless of who we are or whether we know it or not or admit it or not, God is with us.
Perhaps you are familiar with the Christmas carol, “O Come, O Come, Emanuel.” Emanuel means “God with us.” I wrote a poem about this.
Emmanuel, God with us, around us and above,
we’re continually abiding in your radiant love.
Thank you for your presence and the richness that it brings,
Your kingdom is within us and when remembered our heart sings.
Perfect infinite love – so amazing, so divine,
Your never-ending goodness is with us all the time.
Knowing that the infinite love and ever-present goodness of God is always with us is very empowering. The more we realize this the more we benefit from it. Social scientists, biologists and physicists have discovered that whatever we focus on expands. Focusing on junk will manifest more junk, focusing on good will manifest more good. Increasing our awareness of the reality that we are dwelling in the goodness of God will manifest even more of the goodness of God in our lives. Denying it or simply not knowing about it doesn’t negate the presence of God in a person’s life. But knowing it and choosing to continually remind ourselves of it is very edifying to our spirit and it activates and increases that Power within us and around us.
Does this mean then that if we do this we will never have challenges? Of course not, but what it does mean is that God’s presence is with us during those challenging times and S/he provides us with strength, wisdom and whatever else it may be that we need to grow and advance through them. I don’t believe that God is separate from us nor do I believe S/he is an entity that manipulates our lives as though we were pawns on a chessboard. I believe that we abide in God and God abides in us and when we choose to focus on this our faith grows and our inner-knowing of the Divine Presence expands. Ultimately we are transformed.
Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven (or the kingdom of God) is within us. He also quoted the Old Testament (also called the Hebrew Bible) scripture that says “ye are gods” (meaning us).* I know people who are uncomfortable with this scripture. They think that it’s blasphemous to call a person a god. I think what Jesus was talking about here was this concept that the kingdom of God is within us. God is omnipresent and dwells in us, and at the same time we dwell in God. We have God’s Spirit in us. Because of this we are divine beings and thus the quote, “ye are gods.”
Think of the ramifications of this. God who is Love, Wisdom, Intelligence, Goodness, Joy, Peace, Kindness, and Creativity is within us and around us. God, with all of these attributes, lives in you and me and chooses to express through us. That, my friend, is an awesome and wonderful truth to behold. I hope you’ll be uplifted and encouraged by this and allow it to really soak into your consciousness. As I said in my poem, remember this often and your heart will sing.
*These are the scriptures I am referring to: Luke 17:21, John 10:34 and Psalm 82:6.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Dan's Birthday, Jon's Apartment and Reflecting on the Seasons of Life
Beth’s Journal Entry for August 12, 2010 -- Twenty-one years ago today my friends’ baby Daniel was born. His birth was a momentous occasion that I’ll never forget. His parents had been awaiting his arrival for years…literally. Unable to create a child biologically, they were ecstatic at the news that they had been selected by a pregnant woman to adopt her baby. The birth of every baby is a thrilling phenomenon, but perhaps in circumstances such as my friends’, the excitement level is even more extreme.
Sixteen months later, my husband’s and my first baby was born and a few months after that Daniel’s parents adopted twins. So, my son Jonathan began his life blessed with three little pals and I was blessed with a wonderful friend who enlisted with me in this journey, this adventure called motherhood. For four or five years we saw each other several times a week and together we carted our babies all over South Florida. It was very difficult to leave these friends when we eventually moved away. They were like family. We went back to visit them - frequently in the beginning, but less frequently as years went by. Once after we had visited them, Jonathan told me that Daniel had introduced him as being his cousin to one of their neighbors. Even though Jonathan knew it wasn’t accurate he said it made him feel so good that he didn’t have the heart to correct him. I can see why Daniel thought that, though. Our relationship seemed deeper than simply friendship. As so often happens, however, the miles between us served to create unintended distance in our friendship and we only occasionally see them or talk to them now. Of course, our love for one another remains steadfast.
As I imagine Daniel this morning, I picture him rising out of bed, sweet and sleepy headed like when he was a little boy. It’s almost impossible for me to envision him as a twenty-one year old young man. People have a way of staying stuck in your mind the way they were when you last saw them. Daniel’s siblings and my son Jonathan will be twenty years-old this fall. They’re all in college. Today, in fact, my family and I will load up all of Jonathan’s worldly possessions and move him into his very first apartment near his college campus.
It’s a time of many “firsts” for these kids now, just as it was a time of “firsts” for us so many years ago when we had them. I guess we older adults are still experiencing some “firsts,” though. For the first time in a long time, Daniel’s mom is working at a job outside of the home. Soon, she and her husband will experience being empty nesters and in a few years, so will my husband and I. The changing seasons of life continually provide us with “firsts,” some of which we’d rather not have, but happiness will elude us if we remain only in love with one particular season. All of the seasons are valuable and present us with many lessons to experience and blessings to enjoy.
So this morning as I sit in my living room drinking my coffee, I lift my mug in a toast to you, Daniel. Happy 21st Birthday. I lift my mug to Daniel’s mom. Thank you for being such a loving and supportive friend at a time in my life when I really needed you. I lift my mug to my own precious son Jonathan and promise that I will try very hard not to cry today when I leave you at your very first apartment. And, I make a vow to myself to embrace every season of my life knowing that each one is special and has within it many unique and wonderful gifts to treasure.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Sixteen months later, my husband’s and my first baby was born and a few months after that Daniel’s parents adopted twins. So, my son Jonathan began his life blessed with three little pals and I was blessed with a wonderful friend who enlisted with me in this journey, this adventure called motherhood. For four or five years we saw each other several times a week and together we carted our babies all over South Florida. It was very difficult to leave these friends when we eventually moved away. They were like family. We went back to visit them - frequently in the beginning, but less frequently as years went by. Once after we had visited them, Jonathan told me that Daniel had introduced him as being his cousin to one of their neighbors. Even though Jonathan knew it wasn’t accurate he said it made him feel so good that he didn’t have the heart to correct him. I can see why Daniel thought that, though. Our relationship seemed deeper than simply friendship. As so often happens, however, the miles between us served to create unintended distance in our friendship and we only occasionally see them or talk to them now. Of course, our love for one another remains steadfast.
As I imagine Daniel this morning, I picture him rising out of bed, sweet and sleepy headed like when he was a little boy. It’s almost impossible for me to envision him as a twenty-one year old young man. People have a way of staying stuck in your mind the way they were when you last saw them. Daniel’s siblings and my son Jonathan will be twenty years-old this fall. They’re all in college. Today, in fact, my family and I will load up all of Jonathan’s worldly possessions and move him into his very first apartment near his college campus.
It’s a time of many “firsts” for these kids now, just as it was a time of “firsts” for us so many years ago when we had them. I guess we older adults are still experiencing some “firsts,” though. For the first time in a long time, Daniel’s mom is working at a job outside of the home. Soon, she and her husband will experience being empty nesters and in a few years, so will my husband and I. The changing seasons of life continually provide us with “firsts,” some of which we’d rather not have, but happiness will elude us if we remain only in love with one particular season. All of the seasons are valuable and present us with many lessons to experience and blessings to enjoy.
So this morning as I sit in my living room drinking my coffee, I lift my mug in a toast to you, Daniel. Happy 21st Birthday. I lift my mug to Daniel’s mom. Thank you for being such a loving and supportive friend at a time in my life when I really needed you. I lift my mug to my own precious son Jonathan and promise that I will try very hard not to cry today when I leave you at your very first apartment. And, I make a vow to myself to embrace every season of my life knowing that each one is special and has within it many unique and wonderful gifts to treasure.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
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