Probably the most difficult thing in most people’s minds to really, sincerely believe in is Grace. It seems to be so illusive and blesses us with Its Presence so randomly.
We have heard many times from religious and spiritual teachers how to obtain grace and how to keep It. We also have turned to crying out for It, especially when we haven’t felt like we have much to hope for…as sometimes we experience It, and sometimes we don’t.
Although most people experience Grace coming to them unexpectedly, we also have heard of those who Live In and By Grace…that it has become their way of life or a perpetual state of being for them. These people tend to share similar attitudes, beliefs and ways of being in life. They seem to have tapped into a gold mine of a consciousness much of the time. They report a common sensation of “falling” into this rare state.
What exactly is Grace? Well, for most of us, it shows up as being suddenly or constantly miraculously blessed without seemingly having to do hard work to earn it. Perhaps the following true story will crystallize for us how it sometimes happens.
There was a large family living in a middle income neighborhood. The father and mother were good people…devoted to faith in their God. The father earned his salary by being a traveling salesman and, after a very long sales trip throughout the southwest, he returned home feeling “under the weather”. Little did he know that within a day or so he would find himself paralyzed from his neck down with Polio.
He spent a good amount of time hospitalized until he was able to return home. His family, though greatly saddened and burdened, gladly welcomed him home and settled into a routine of taking turns taking care of him. As a year passed, everyone who knew him observed that his cheerful, playful and loving way had changed…that he had become angry, disrespectful and mean-spirited. He was enraged with God and ended up projecting it on whoever came near.
Then one morning his wife decided he needed to see his new son who was born while he was first hospitalized. Gazing into his young son’s innocence and sweetness suddenly just broke open his angry heart wide and he wept. It was in that timeless moment that Grace slipped in and embraced him.
From that day on, this paralyzed father began to say prayers of gratitude out loud to God for giving him each struggling breath so that he could still be alive to love his family and his friends. Grace seeped in and melted through him. It didn’t miraculously heal him physically, but indeed it did so heartfully.
The response to the January 2015 Retreat has been so great that we will be scheduling a second Retreat opportunity, possibly in May 2015. This retreat will be available to you to attend either in person or by teleconference via camera.
May these opportunities to Retreat with us be your access to
LIVING FROM NOW ON, “IN GRACE”.
For more information, contact: Phaeryn Sheehan
505-206-2139 or email phaerynsheehan@comcast.net
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