Dear Spiritual Family,
Do you remember from many of the Western movies and television series from the past like “Wagon Train,” when trouble appeared on the horizon or when the frontiers folk would stop for the night in “unfriendly” territory? They would circle their wagons for protection or just the feeling of greater peace and security.
In today’s message, we’re offering the idea of “circling our wagons” for different reasons.
Let’s look at some of the challenges many are faced with in these times:
- A troubling health diagnosis for ourselves or a loved one.
- The loss of someone close or a dear pet.
- A significant relationship issue – a difficult relative or tension in a marriage or concern about a child or grandchild.
- Financial stress.
- An accident that affects our bodies or our property.
- A deep concern for our community or state or nation or world or all of these!
- Just about anything or anyone that takes us out of a place of comfort and causes us upset including ourselves.
What might it mean to “circle the wagons” to better meet these challenges? Spiritual Grounding. Active Forgiveness. Ownership. Support. Divine Help and Guidance. What would you add to the list?
In the video, we offer our abbreviated version of a powerful tool called “The Three Steps” from Arnold M. Patent’s book, You Can Have It All:
- Feel the feeling triggered by the person or event – FREE of your thoughts about it. Feel it as fully as possible without judgment. (For many of us, we feel/sense this energy in the solar plexus area.) Don’t rush.
- Now focus on your heart and the rich feeling of love and peace. Feel your heart expand. Again, take your time. It helps to feel God’s Presence and Love for you.
- Now, with intention, feel or visualize the energy felt in Step One migrating into your heart, into love and acceptance. There, the feeling is transformed by love.
And end the exercise with a loving, intentional ask, “Holy Spirit, shine the Light!”
Mary and I were recently returning from a long trip, almost 1500 miles, to offer some support to family several states away, and to also have a few days to unwind a bit. Five miles from home, we were stopped at a red light and boom – rear-ended by a big pick-up truck. Fortunately, the driver was kind and responsible. Within 8 days our damaged sedan was like new and we made two new friends with him and his wife in the process.
But we realized within moments of the accident that we had a part in this. It was a wake-up call. As we metaphorically circled our wagons, we realized: 1. We were listening to our favorite baseball team and getting pretty upset that they were playing poorly. (Not the best signal to be sending into the Universe at the end of a long day of driving.) 2. I, Rev. Steve, had been feeling anger at some drivers following too closely during the drive home. 3. We were still carrying a significant amount of worry/concern about some of the family members we had been attending to.
This message offers you some visual suggestions for the metaphorical “circle.”
Homework suggestion: Have some fun with your approach to this idea. As you bring to mind some of the people and situations that tend to discourage or upset you, try to lighten the energy and allow the spiritual support and wisdom of the circle to help you.
As we are more vigilant when things go amiss and even when we catch ourselves headed in that direction, we can consciously say, “It’s Time to Circle the Wagons!” And unlike what many of our ancestors in or out of the “circle” may have been feeling, you and I can know that we are ALWAYS in the Circle of God’s Love, forever safe and whole!
We love you,
Rev. Steve and Mary