One of the benefits of connecting deeply with Spirit is that you always have someone to talk to (prayer).  There is always a presence that is listening deeply to your heart and soul, even when you are not intentionally sharing.  Spirit’s presence, Spirit’s friendship, Spirit’s Love, Spirit’s Wisdom is ours if we want to connect in.

Spider-man:  Homecoming

Spider-man remains stuck in the deep storage vault.  He is now laying on the top of a storage container dressed in his Decathlon school uniform, and talking to Karen (formerly known as Suit Lady).

Spider-man:  Should I tell Liz I’m Spider-man?

Karen:  Who’s Liz?

Spider-man:  Who’s Liz?  She’s the best.  She’s awesome.  She’s a girl that goes to my school.  I really want to tell her, but it’s kind of weird, you know.  It’s like, ‘Hey I’m Spider-man.’

Karen:  What’s weird about that?

Spider-man:  What if she is expecting someone like Tony Stark (Ironman, his mentor).  Imagine how disappointed she would be when she sees me?

Karen:  Well, if I were her, I would not be disappointed at all.

Spider-man:  Thanks Karen.  Its really nice to have somebody to talk to…

Spiritual Journey:

I love this short scene.  It is so true to the human experience.  We go about our lives feeling as if we can not share our deepest heart’s desires.  For some reason we fear being judged, shut down, dismissed or rejected when it comes to our deepest desires.  This is usually because they involve relating to another human in all that person’s humanness.  So we let our fear block us from taking the risks that may change our lives, as well as other’s for the better.

We need someone to talk to.  That someone is Spirit.  When we are talking with Spirit, we are being held in the safest most secure place (sacred space).  The safety of Spirit’s sacred space allows us to drop all of our walls and barriers, to become fully vulnerable and share openly our struggles, our desires, our fears, our hopes.  As we share them, Spirit listens, holds, and responds offering us an experience of unconditional love and deep peace.

This is awesome!

Prayer:

For many of us, we turn to prayer when we need something:  healing for someone who is sick, safety in travel, Light around those grieving.  We have a list of needs and we pray those needs.  This is what church taught us.  Prayers are either liturgical (written and spoken) or about what we need God to pay attention to.

Rarely do we stop and commune with Spirit as Spider-man does with Karen (Suit Lady).  Rarely do we allow ourselves to share our deepest desires and await Spirit’s answer.  Many times we do not know how to begin doing that.  We have not been taught.  It feels weird to just sit down and speak to an empty room and then expect a voice to speak from no-where.

Prayer is more than just our list of needs and written liturgical words we say each worship experience.  It is simply our willingness to open a line of communication with the Sacred.  A line of communication includes the Intention to listen as much as speak.  It is about being in the presence of the Sacred and trusting that what needs to be communicated between both of you is, whether words are shared or images or silence.

Putting it into practice:

My mentor taught me a simple prayer that I have used over my many years:

“Holy Love, Sacred Light, Blessed Life,
Fill me with Your Presence until I am empty of all but You.”

This simple prayer changed how I related with Spirit. 

My first experience using it, I spoke the words in my heart and sat there like, “what now?”  I sat.  Nothing happened.  I was bummed. 

But I kept saying those two lines daily for a while.  Over time, I began to notice that something was happening in my heart.  A space that I never realized was there was being carved out.  One day I imagined myself walking into that space I felt appearing.  I allowed my imagination to explore the space, clean the space, prepare the space and finally sit in meditation in that space. Then something happened.  Another presence arrived and we sat together.  Nothing was said. We just sat in each other’s presence.  I awoke from that prayer feeling deeply Loved.

I continued on, returning to this space, saying these two lines.  Over time, I began to hear the presence of Spirit.  Sometimes words arrived in my heart.  Other times, I received a vision, a journey and spent time journalling about the metaphorical vision I received.  With each experience, I was filled with joy, love, peace, laughter, compassion.

I no longer say those two lines.  Instead I enter the space of my heart and allow the muscle memory I created all those years ago to kick in.  Someone (an angel, Spirit, one of my helping spirits, Ascended Master) shows up, and we spend time together.  I awaken from that meditation and prayer thinking

“Thanks….. It’s really nice to have somebody to talk to…”

(Spiritual direction is a beautiful spiritual practice where your spiritual director mentors and guides you into the space within your heart, teaching you how to commune, listen, be in the presence of the Sacred.  If you would like to explore spiritual direction, click here to set an appointment.  I offer direction in-person and on-line via Zoom.)