Hanging Out With God

It all began with an assignment in preparation for an upcoming lecture several years ago. The lecturer asked us to sit quietly every day until we could FEEL the love of God surrounding us and then to metaphysically turn and embrace the world. The effects of that assignment changed my perspective mightily. I have endeavored to practice that "still time" ever since and it has brought wonderful experiences into my life.

Not only were my prayers growing "wider," but when praying for healing, I found myself focusing on God first and foremost instead of the "signs following." I realized that the "signs following" were exactly that - FOLLOWING. As they say, "the revealing IS the healing." I stopped trying to alleviate symptoms and manipulate circumstances and force pre-conceived outcomes. I was just happy to be with God. In fact, I experienced a couple of healings by just "hanging out with God." In both cases, I had been "working" and studying so hard that I felt drained. So I sat down and prayed that I could just "be with" God. I didn't want to "argue" or battle suggestions; I didn't even want to think "heavenly" thoughts. I did deny the lie of the false belief of whatever the claim was at that time, but then I just got quiet. Every time an idea of any nature, bad or even supposedly good, presented itself, I told Father I was just "being" with HIm . And I held to it. The most wonderful peace came over me. I don't know if I dozed off or not, but later I realized I was "free."

That happened both times.

However, the "watershed" moment came one day when I was carrying some laundry upstairs. A pain shot through my knee. I got to my apartment and put down the basket. The pain and dislocation seemed so bad that day that at times I couldn't walk. I had to crawl to get from one room to another. I called for help from a practitioner and was helped greatly, but the pain persisted intermittently. I still don't remember how I worked, but one day when climbing the stairs "gingerly" I just "knew" God was in charge and this whole supposed situation was a lie and irrelevant. It was all so natural. Nothing fancy, just conviction and being at "ease" with the presence of the Lord. The pain did not go away right away, but it never interfered with my activity. I walk weekly with some women and we walk approximately six miles at a time. I continued to walk and never once was prevented from moving freely. I just dismissed any seeming discomfort if it arose; I really wasn't impressed any more. I don't remember how long this went on, maybe a couple of months. But one night when I was getting into bed, I realized as I was bounding in with my usual

vigor, that I had forgotten all about the knee. There were no "careful accommodations" made to find a comfortable position.

I have carried many loads of clothes up the stairs and gone on many weekly walks without discomfort since then and for that I am grateful. But by far the greatest gift has been to SEE and FEEL that "God's in HIs heaven, All's right with the world," to quote a line from an old poem called: "Pippa Passes." The Bible puts it another way: "Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to thee" (James 4:7,8).

I am just cherishing that.