COUNSELOR'S CORNER: Spiritual discoveries

Each morning I write a daily reflection during my meditation time. This article is a combination of my daily reflections of the last four days.

Spiritual discoveries happen when a person gets out of their logical, analyzing mind and experiences the present moment in a deeper manner. When I can accept how powerless I am and admit my flaws and weaknesses, I become more open to a higher presence in my life. The humbler and more honest I become, the more I open up to an experience of a deeper inner life. It is a paradox to realize that I begin to have a deeper Faith in God when I can admit my mistakes and negative thinking. To be ‘poor in spirit’ is a way to allow God to grasp me and draw me closer into a joyful and meaningful union. I then discover the wisdom and peace of spiritual realities.
To do this, I must first accept how powerless I am by myself. This leads to an internal conversion which becomes a discovery of something deeper in life. It becomes a discovery of a God who is always a faithful friend and healer and never Someone who is condemning or judgmental. It is a discovery of a Loving Friend who loves each person with an eternal and unconditional love, strength, compassion and wisdom. Life is meant to be lived by becoming open and receptive to this presence of
Compassionate and Consistent Unconditional Love. God is always with everyone. God is always healing. Life is meant to be lived by paying attention to this Sacred Presence of God. Paying attention allows an internal conversion to happen where a person becomes receptive to Love and begins to let go of selfishness and needing to be more correct and powerful than others.

Spiritual Discovery happens when I let go of anger, negative judgments and attitudes about others. The road of discovery is filled with gentle reflection and gentle loving. When I stay on this road, I will experience God because I become receptive to this Presence of God. I begin to realize that there is a powerful divine presence in everything and everyone.

Life can always be peaceful and joyful no matter what may happen. There is a Presence of the Divine that creates a “stream of goodness” in my life. This ‘stream of goodness’ is always about being loving and kind to others. It is about an inner receptivity to God’s unconditional Love. Taking quiet time each day for meditation and reflection pushes me into this ‘stream of goodness’ and therefore I will see goodness in everything and everyone.

There will always be ‘miracles of change’ in my life when I allow myself to take an abundance of quiet time each day. I become open to God’s Love changing me when I am kind and loving. My fears disappear when I surrender to God. No one and nothing have to change for me to experience God and have a ‘miracle of change.’
A genuine faith is to experience God present in everything and in everyone. Life is really all about God and experiencing God everywhere. Joy comes in service and loving others and seeing goodness everywhere. There is sacred Presence of God in everything and everyone. A spiritual person gives up condemning and judging and brings kindness and love to each moment no matter what the cost.

God is always with me and always healing me. Life is an amazing journey with God. Lord, help me to let go more and let You fill me and guide me with Your healing love.

Calmness and peace will come over me each day if I make the effort to be quiet and listen to God in prayer and meditation and I make the conscious effort to be loving and kind toward everyone. This means that I have an internal attitude of kindness towards all. No one has to change for me to have peace. Peace comes from a surrender to God. It is a result from bringing the energy of love to all. God is always bringing LOVE AND PEACE to me. I must be open and receptive to God and Love in this very moment. Then I become fully alive.
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Fred Cavaiani is a licensed marriage & family therapist and limited licensed psychologist with a private practice in Troy. He is the founder of Marriage Growth Center. He conducts numerous programs for groups throughout Michigan. Cavaiani is associate editor and contributing writer for Human Development Magazine. His column in the Legal News runs every other Tuesday. He can be reached at 248-362-3340. His e-mail address is: Fredcavi@yahoo.com and his website is FredsCounselorsCorner.com.