Sunday, August 31, 2014

Super Soul Sunday





I love God. And I love hearing about other people's relationship with God.

Today I was watching a repeat episode of Super Soul Sunday on OWN. Iyanla Vanzant was the guest. I just adore her. In the two-part show, Iyanla shared her life's challenges, her story. And as always, Oprah asked some very thoughtful questions.  One of the questions of Iyanla, was what her definition of the soul was. Iyanla said that the soul is the fingerprint of God.  I have to tell you that just struck me to the core. I absolutely love that!  

To the question of what is God - Iyanla simply stated that God is everything. I agree wholeheartedly. God is our breath. God is life. Nature. Our senses. God is the rain, the sun, the snow. God is the trees, the breeze, the grass, the birds. God is the moon, the stars.

God IS.

What was interesting is that Iyanla also went on to say that God is also the manifestation of need for God. In the presence of evil and darkness, God is manifested in the need for light - and of course, God is the light.

God IS.

I think one of the many reasons why I like Iyanla so much, is that not only do I recognize the strength in her, and what she has overcome in her life. As well as her unwavering faith and love in God. But we also think alike at times.  Such as in her explanation of the difference between religion and spirituality.

Religion are the man-made rules, the ceremonies, the rituals of how to follow God's word and show honor and worship to God.

Spirituality is the personal, intimate, internal relationship with God. The all knowing - all trusting - faithful - singular relationship with God. Iyanla says that she believes spirituality to be the hearing of the call of God. I agree.

Sometimes you have a belief, and then you hear someone else verbalize it in a way that perhaps you haven't thought of, and you find yourself saying YES!!  I had one of those moments during the show. Oprah and Iyanla were discussing keeping one's self in alignment with God's plan. And in short, as long as you keep yourself balanced, centered in God's space, you will be in total alignment with God's grace and His plan for your life. In other words, you will never live a blessed life as long as you are out of alignment with God's space. How true!

We know that God is love, God is peace, God is grace, God is forgiveness. And as long as we live our life with God in our heart, and we walk the path of His love, peace, grace and forgiveness, we are in alignment with Him. We are living in the center of God's space, and therefore are open to living a blessed life.

God IS.

One thing that none of us can be certain of, is what happens when we die. All we can do is imagine. And again, I welcome different thoughts on this. Iyalna's thought on this was that we are in a continuum. When we die, in essence, our soul awakens the next day as if nothing happens. Her thought was lost in conversation with Oprah, but I take it to mean that our soul is transformed, that it's work in this current state is finished and therefore the continuum perhaps takes place in another form. To continue the work in another form.

I really need to give this some thought. And of course, as I said, none of us really has a definitive answer to this. There is no way of knowing - until it happens. But, my theory is that God resides in each of us. We are of God. So if you think of a glass of water with a cube of ice floating in it. The water is God, and the ice is us. Yet, the cube of ice is made of God/the water. The cube of ice exists, surrounded by God - ie - nature, life. When the cube of ice eventually melts, the essence of the cube of ice - the water / the soul, rejoins the source - God.

God IS.

As humans, one thing we often wonder about is the meaning of life. I believe that we were put here for a purpose. I believe that our soul is on a mission. We know that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. And we know that we are here for only a short time. Iyanla shared her belief in that God assigns souls to different tasks / lives. With the instruction that that soul should always remember to trust in Him and count on Him for guidance. I believe in our human form, we go through trials and tribulations as a test. To see if our soul remembers to count on God. To trust in Him. Remain connected to Him. In essence to remember His instructions before we were sent out into this world. And while we are here, we are to live His message. To BE love. To BE peace. To BE forgiveness. To BE grace.

A daily prayer from A Course In Miracles really sums up this thought quite nicely..

Where would you have me go, God?
What would you have me do?
What would you have me say, God?
..... and to whom?