Let a double portion of her spirit be on me*

Spiritual resource to share:  fixed influence

In the last six months, I have been to three memorial services -- each of women who were my mentors in different aspects of my life.  One was my mother, my life mentor, another a designer, and another a Christian Science nurse.

Each time I attended one of the memorial services, I was hit by a concentrated dose of what was best about these three women:  the unconditional love of my mother, the spiritual approach to design resulting in enduring expressions of home and comfort of my designer friend and the universal and open welcome of my Christian Science nurse friend.

Their enduring spiritual qualities I realized were forever.  I could take these qualities with me and more than appreciate them and see them all around me, I could be these qualities of love, comfort and welcome.
I have heard and will share that once you know someone spiritually, you will never lose them.  This is true.  This has healed me of grief and inspired me to carry on what I have learned from these women and to build on the foundation that they have given me.

I have written a few blogs about my mother (click here) and a couple about my designer friend ( click here), but my Christian Science nurse friend, I have yet to write about.

Her service was memorable in that it was given in Arabic and English, and readings were from the Christian Science textbooks and the Koran.  The theme that continued to play out as we talked among ourselves was her humble mothering and, over a lifetime, she and her American husband took in many international students who found a home away from home in their house. She and her husband took in many many people who were needing a place to stay.  I was one of them who, when I was hurting and feeling lost, she and her husband gave me a place to stay and compassionate companionship.

Her first marriage did not last.  It was to a Muslim and they had two beautiful sons.  In a story of forgiveness and redemption that has yet to be fully told, she became stepmother to her ex-husband's three sons when their mother died, giving her a total of five sons. 

The people coming to the service showed the breadth and depth of my friend's love.  Muslim and Christian, Christian Scientist and Catholic, all generations were sharing memories of her, her cooking, her help, her love.  She must have nursed hundreds of patients and friends and mentored dozens of nurses in her lifetime.

What was so amazing to me - and still is - was her humility and generosity and her capacity for unselfishness and forgiveness.  She was so easy to be around, so welcoming.  Could I ever be like that?  I hope so.  Like the story of Elisha, who asked that a double portion of Elijah's spirit be given to him when Elijah passed on, (see II Kings 2: 9), I was imagining if I could have even a tenth of her spirit, I would be doing well!

Grief has turned into commitment to carry on the love and comfort and welcome of these remarkable women.  And in carrying that commitment out, I can never lose them.


* See the story of Elijah and Elisha from II Kings chapter 2

Resurrection

Spiritual resource to share: personal resurrection

How much love is behind the verse "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everalsting life" ?

This watershed of love may seem to be unfathomable - but that doesn't stop me from working and praying to understand it!

I have been on numerous hiking and kayaking trips. Sometimes I have led and other times others have led. I always appreciate that someone is there to show the way, helping to avoid pitfalls or other obstacles and showing us the most magnificent and safest routes that help build my strength as well as my stamina.

How like God - who is Love - to love so deeply that the Christ was sent to led this trip that we are all on today. The Christ shows us the most magnificent, empowering and safest path, while at the same time, shows us that we can overcome obstacles and pitfalls to get to where we need to be.

In this Easter season, I am reminded that God's love continues to gush forth and the Christ continues to show us the way out of conflict, chaos, discord, and dismay, into that which is changeless: into Love, into Life and into beauty.

Christ's resurrection is my hope. And because Jesus has taught his disciples how to do the works that he did (and even expected that we do greater works!), we have his teachings to bring that hope to all whom we meet!

Resurrection means to bring back into activity, a change for the better, spiritual renewal. It means to revitalize, regenerate, restore, reform and finally to rejoice!

My personal resurrection can be a daily prayer, a re-commitment to hope and its fulfillment.

I love the Easter service: it speaks to me of Life, and not of death.

Let us do our work; then we shall have part in his resurrection.

- Mary Baker Eddy in Miscellaneous Writings p. 180

Happy Easter to you all!





To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.

honest achievement

Spiritual resource to share: commitment to good works


The Urban Nutcracker from Skillimon on Vimeo.


"The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible."

I'm inspired to see others' commitments to excellence, good works and progress. It's an affirmation that good is possible. It inspires me to become even more steady in my own commitment to grow in grace and in the practice of Christian Science. MBEddy offers some helpful guidance for those committing themselves to do good works:

... self-denial, sincerity, Christianity, and persistence alone win the prize, as they usually do in every department of life.

I have one such friend who has made an incredible commitment to use dance as a tool to inspire and empower youth and communities. Not only is this friend, Tony Williams, talented and experienced, but he has the humility and sincerity that one sees in leaders of many progressive institutions.

His company and school, Ballet Rox, puts on an annual show the "Urban Nutcracker." My older son got in at the ground floor and performed in its first and second years. Every year, there has been more growth and progress and it has expanded its audiences and shared its inspiration.

Enjoy the clip above and take in the celebration that encourages us all to deeply commit to our own paths of blessing others and see where it takes you!

More information about the Urban Nutcracker and how you can support it:
Press release on the making of a documentary about the Urban Nutcracker

Get involved





To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact