I had a good day today. I did relax–I worked for a couple of hours in my art journal, which is creative, intuitive, spiritual and sometimes prophetic. The pages soothe my mind and soul when I cannot be outside, and today, though the weather was pretty enough, I felt I needed to just stay put at home. That decision meant I could also do some necessary mundane chores like laundry, and I was also available here if Pete needed me as he began to slowly make sense of the I-have-no-idea-where-anything-is that was his frame shop at the Nags Head gallery. The banner accomplishment for him today was to hook up the computerized mat cutter and determine that it handled the move admirably and is cutting nice straight sharp lines, as a mat cutter should. I know he is relieved about that. Then we sat in our swing for about an hour in late afternoon, just a-swinging. Really a perfect day.
I am always amazed when I sit down with my art journal and just let myself respond to whatever catches my interest. I thumbed back through pages I had collaged over the past couple of years. I tend to combine imagery and words in these pages. Sometimes I know exactly what I mean when I create them, and sometimes I have no idea why THIS should go with THAT. But later, the pattern I chose seemingly at random makes more sense. One thing I spotted on a page today was a pendant with an uplifting word. We wound up ordering something very similar from an American artist when we went to Philadelphia last February! I did not consciously recall putting that image on one of my pages, but it was there to remind me to pay attention to everything that tugs at my attention, however lightly. Whispers can mean as much as shouts, sometimes even more.
You are learning to listen to the Still Small Voice. Sometimes that Voice is My Own Voice, wooing you. And sometimes the voice you hear is your own. You have tended to devalue that voice, many times. But I find it precious. I Am glad you are beginning to listen to yourself and count your own thoughts and words as valid.
Lord, that reminds me. I had another sudden insight several days ago. I was thinking about how we humans do like to rank order. We put ourselves first, or last, or somewhere in the middle. And as I was thinking, I saw in my mind’s eye a vertical line, just a straight line, as if it were made up of humans, as if humanity were arranged in some sort of ladder-fashion. Who would be at the top and bottom? Where would each person fit in? We tend to think in all those terms. But then suddenly I saw instead a horizontal line, as if all of humanity were strung out like that old Cola commercial, holding hands, standing shoulder to shoulder. No rank-ordering. Every single person as important as the next, but each one an individual. And in that instant I realized, that is how You see us. All of us. Each of us and all of us and all at once. Not rank-ordered, but as individuals, and yet essentially a part of the whole, as You said the other day. No missing pieces. It was beautiful, actually, what I saw.
More and more you are seeing the world as I see it and as it views itself. Which is reality, you wonder. The paradox is, both offer views of humanity that are realistic. Yet only My View is sustainable. The usual world’s view of itself is doomed to failure, sooner or later, because it is not based in Love. Any view not based in Love will eventually lead to an absence of all the other virtues, like Peace or Goodness or Kindness or Justice or Faith. You have the ability to hold both views at once, and to work and pray to help the view I see become truer and truer in your experience of reality. That is really all you can do, and it is hard work at times. But for all those who wish to work for Peace and Love and Justice, holding My View of the world is essential. So the next time you are tempted to become impatient in line, or while on the road driving, remember how I see all of you. No one of you is more important–or less important–in My Eyes. Each of you is fully and completely Loved by Me. That does not mean I Love or Approve of everyone’s individual actions. Far from it! Love demands an honest scrutiny of motive and means, and humanity falls far short of Love most of the time. You see, it is My Love that sustains the Universe. Never mind some don’t accept that reality; that is the truth.
That reminds me suddenly of some old joke, God, or something. How did it go?
What you are trying to remember is this. All humans may not believe in Me, but I believe in all humans. And that is humanity’s grace and your hope.