TIME AND THE VOICE OF SPIRIT

“Time here was measured in eons, not lifetimes. In how long it took the sea to smooth the rough edges off a bit of broken glass, in how long it took the tide to shape and reshape the shore.”

           -Kristin Hannah - from SUMMER ISLAND (Ballantine Books, New York. 2010, Page 111)

I have begun to think about how time and the power of Spirit works in our lives. Most likely it is not like the power of a thunderstorm or the power of fire out of control, something that grabs us by the collar, forcing us to pay attention. No, most likely the wisdom of Spirit creeps upon us quietly, almost stealthily, working in our daytime hours and in our sleep, perhaps in our dreams, most definitely in our moments of contemplation and even in our moments of quiet conversation with a good friend. Spirit isn’t necessarily the voice booming in the desert, the voice of I AM WHO I AM in the Old Testament calling forth his prophets and his people to listen to God’s word.

In our modern world so much booms loudly in our lives, vying for our attention: politicians, the media, newscasts, advertisements telling us we must have this or that in order to be whole, we must change this about our bodies in order to be okay. We must become this or that in order to be who we really are. So much booms loudly that is not the voice of Spirit, that is not the Truth, but rather leads us to believe we are not already whole, perfect and complete as God created us. It’s often easy to listen and be swayed and frightened by these voices. But they are not Spirit and they are not the TRUTH.

On the contrary, I believe that Spirit speaks to us all the time in the quiet of our hearts, in our dreams, in those moments when we are in the midst of another activity. We can be reading a book, shopping, or walking down the street. And, lo and behold, we have one of those AHA moments when we know with great certainty and clarity that Spirit is calling upon us to listen, to pay attention, to take on a new way of thinking, being, living, being called by name. Jesus called Simon of Barjona blessed and gave him the name Peter, and that is how we have known him ever since. Spirit threw Saul off his high horse, awakening him to who he truly was and he became Paul.

And so it is with Spirit and Time. Things happen in Spirit’s time, not ours. We may see time as our best friend when something happens when we want it to, or, perhaps, time appears our worst enemy if we are watching a dear one slip through the fingers of this life and into the hands of eternity. We want to stop time. We want to call out, “No, not yet!” But Spirit always knows best, always knows what is our highest good, despite the longing of our human egos to want what we want when we want it and how we want it. “No, not this at this time” we may hear instead when we want a green light on our plans right this very minute. Spirit works in eternal time, not earthly time. Spirit moves through us, cleansing us, preparing us for whatever lies before us, and Spirit also prepares us for our greatness, for those moments when we know pure joy and exhilaration and the fulfillment of our heart’s desires.

Spirit’s time is not our time. But it is the best time, the time to wear down the rough edges of our fears and prejudices, gently turning us into the loving gems we truly are. Spirit’s time wears down the edges of our egos so that we become more loving and open human beings. Spirit’s time is WHOLE time, PERFECT time, ALWAYS IN THE NICK OF TIME time. Spirit, like the tide, shapes and reshapes us into the perfection of God, into who we are, truly, and who we are meant to be as we show up in this world. We are never alone at any time and we can know for certain for all time and in all circumstances that the Light of Spirit guides us and brings us home.