Following Our Higher Power’s Voice

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Saturday, November 28, 2015

Following Our Higher Power’s Voice

“Happiness is not an accident. It comes from following the spiritual voice found in each of us. This isn’t always easy.” [1]

Many people familiar with the Twelve Steps and the practices of Recovery know about “Do the Next Right Thing.” When clean and sober people are not exactly sure of what to do, this slogan serves as a help and assistance.

I can do that one better. My friend Bill (now, sadly, in that Big Meeting in the sky) had something he would regularly say. “Do the Next Loving Thing.” This always made a great deal of sense to me. God as I understand God (that is, the Christian understanding) had quite a bit to say about loving others.

In fact, God mentions in the Bible that the most important command given in all of the Biblical Law Code is a two-part law: love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. Loving in the vertical plane, and loving in the horizontal plane, too.

So, following the spiritual voice, following God as I understand God, is staying in ‘conscious contact’ with God. Following Step Eleven, too.

Today is the last day that I will be considering our daily meditation book, Keep It Simple. Tomorrow is the first Sunday of Advent in the Liturgical Year. I’ll be switching gears, and taking a look at what Father Henri Nouwen has to say about our Advent and Christmas journey through the month of December. Oh, and the last two days of November, too.

But for now, I am still listening and meditating on Keep It Simple. I will close with the Action for the Day: “Today, I’ll meditate and listen to my Higher Power’s gentle voice.” [2]

Dear God, help me do the Next Loving Thing. So help me, God.

@chaplaineliza

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Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

(also published at http://www.matterofprayer.net

[1] Keep It Simple: Daily Meditations for Twelve-Step Beginnings and Renewal. (Hazelden Meditation Series) (San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1989), November 29 reading.

[2] Ibid.

Turning It Over to God—in Gratitude

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Thursday, November 26, 2015

Turning It Over to God—in Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Today was Thanksgiving: a day when America traditionally gives thanks to God. Today’s reading in the daily meditation book Keep It Simple also involved turning life over to God as I understand God.

I just read some heartbreaking and honest Facebook posts where a few acquaintances of mine legitimately had difficulty doing both of those things today.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

True, there were (and are) various things happening in each of these families. With wide and varied situations with many family gatherings. Still more with volatile or even explosive verbal confrontations. Some with lonely, anxious people gathering together over a meal ladled out at a shelter or a church basement. And then, those with sad and grieving people in sad and desperate straits.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Yet, today was another day where many, many people worldwide successfully stayed clean and sober. Through anxious circumstances, even though they were sorely tempted, or amidst incredible grief and sadness. Many, many people successfully turned their lives and wills over to the care of their Higher Power. Just for today. One day at a time.

Another day clean and sober. Another day following God as I understand God.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

(also published at http://www.matterofprayer.net

Day #15 – Share a Verse? Sometimes. Today? Yes.

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Friday, March 6, 2015

Day #15 – Share a Verse? Sometimes. Today? Yes.

Sharing a Scripture verse in conversation? Yes, when appropriate. When it comes to mind. It doesn’t always, but today it did. The verse was quite appropriate. But, you be the judge of that.

Every few weeks, I volunteer at a hospital inpatient unit. I have a certificate in Alcohol and Drug Counseling, and I go to a drug and alcohol rehab unit to facilitate an hour on spirituality. This is one of the most rewarding things I can do. I get such encouragement out of giving people some hope and light and letting them know that there is a solution. Giving and serving, getting out of myself is truly a rewarding thing to do. On a regular basis.

These people are very early in recovery. Only a few days, in some cases. Perhaps a week or maybe ten days. I see it as my job to give them some hope, some tools, some explanation of something outside of themselves that can help them to stay clean and sober, one day at a time.

The rehab unit relies strongly on the 12 Step model of recovery. Not completely, but it is a major part of this unit’s philosophy. Accordingly, I base my facilitation on Steps 2 and 3, talking about the help of a Higher Power, and about God as each individual understands God. I try to give each person help and assistance at understanding this Higher Power. We were going around the room. I asked each person to give me a describing word that tells me about the Higher Power or God that helps each one, personally, to stay clean and sober one day at a time.

I’ve done this many times before. Everyone in the room knew that I am a pastor, and have worked as a chaplain in a hospital for most of the past ten years. So, I would transition in and out of “God talk.” When a person said they understood God in a Christian sense, I would switch and speak of God that way. However, some people in the group had difficulty approaching that idea. So, I would affirm them in their belief—of the Group of Drunks or Good Orderly Direction, or whatever their understanding led them towards.

As in the past, I received some excellent adjectives or attributes of God/Higher Power. Loving, believing, caring, helping. And several other marvelous words. About three quarters of the way around the circle, someone said “forgiving.” I made certain this patient was speaking of God in a Christian sense, and the patient and I exchanged a sentence or two about the awesomeness of God’s forgiveness of our sins. And then, it bubbled up out of me. One of my favorite Bible verses from Psalm 103. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions/sins from us.” It just popped out of my mouth. Boom.

I acknowledge that not everyone in the room was/is completely comfortable with “quoting Scripture verses.” Yes. However, I had been with the group for about 45 minutes. I believe I had some credibility with them by this time, and shown myself to be understanding and encouraging. Not divisive, rigid or negative about their individual beliefs. I think this was by far an excellent way for me to share some of my experience, strength and hope with them. And, I hope my suggestions help them to stay clean and sober, one day at a time. Today. Again, with God/HP’s help, there is a solution.

God, I pray for all the good people I saw at the inpatient unit today. Please, help them in their difficulties. Encourage and support each one as they show each other caring, support and love. And help all the people in recovery I know to stay clean and sober, one day at a time. Amen.

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

(Check out #40acts; doing Lent generously at www.40acts.org.uk )

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And read #40acts sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .