 Sharing the successes of my healing journey would not be complete without mentioning my “spiritual” awakening, or perhaps a better way to describe it would be my reconciliation with the possibility that one can be a spiritual being without also having an association with any organized religion.
Much of my life I struggled with the issue of religion. I was raised by two loving, kind and generous people who were Jewish in name only…we never attended synagogue or observed the religious holidays. I always had a sense of incompleteness and envied people who had strong faith and religious convictions.
I can remember times during my illness when I would wonder if perhaps this was in some way a punishment for not having true faith, but that seemed so contrary to how I would imagine God to be…all loving and all forgiving.
About 1-1/2 years ago I was working with an alternative medicine practitioner who has a very strong faith. We were discussing my uncertainty regarding my belief in God, and the impact that it might be having on my recovery. He said something that I had never considered before, “I know you have doubts or don’t feel certain about God, but what if you just choose to believe - don’t make it complicated…just choose to do it…just decide to accept that there is a God and tell yourself, ‘I make the choice to believe in God’.” He wasn’t telling me what I should think or feel, but that it was within me to choose what I did, or did not, believe. This was a very powerful moment for me as I had never considered the possibility that something that had been such an issue in my life could be resolved by just deciding to change the way I thought about it. Even more empowering was the realization that maybe I had the power to impact my thoughts about other things.
That conversation opened a door for me that I never even knew existed…you know they say that when the student is ready the teacher will arrive?? Well from that moment on enlightened people and empowering information began to flow into my life. The fear and doubt that I had carried my entire life was gradually replaced with a greater sense of peace, along with the acceptance that a Higher Power did exist and was there to love and support me on my journey.
As I began to redirect and refocus my thinking, more doors began to open. I met the person most instrumental in helping me to move forward in the healing process by showing me how to ask God for help.* I then discovered Dr. Wayne Dyer and his philosophy that what you think about is what expands in your life, as well as how vital it is to have a connection to Source. People seem to continually show up in my life to guide me along on my personal journey of spiritual growth and expansion.
I have become comfortable with the knowing that I do not have to be a “religious” person in order to be a spiritual one. I accept that there is a God/Source/Higher Power who is within me and in everything I can see and touch – and in those things that I can’t. What I draw into my life is a reflection of how I live my life, how I treat others in action and deed, as well as the love and respect I have for myself. The focus of my existence is no longer just about me, but on what it is I can do to make the world a better place. Every day I ask God to “show me what is mine to do” and “how can I serve”. I have come to understand that by refocusing my attention from myself to others, I am more aware of the connection we all share…how God/Source is a part of each and every one of us – and that is the bond that ties all of us together. It doesn’t matter if your label is Jew, Christian, Buddhist, or Muslim…nor if your skin color is yellow, white, black or tan. What does matter is that we are all more similar than we are different.
The healing that has occurred in my life would not have happened had I not reconciled this part of my life, and therefore I felt it important to share with you. HealwithHope.com exists because I believe that the purpose of my journey was to share my experiences with others in the hope of helping those who are also searching for ways to create a better life.
~ Andrea 
To share your thoughts on this or any subject, click: Share Here
*For more information, see My Story |
