What’s Right With This Picture?
Rev. Karen Mitchell
The Los Angeles Times reported this week that the United States has reached the one million mark in deaths from COVID. Living through this pandemic is like nothing I could have ever imagined. Over these past two years, I have spoken with many people who have lost their jobs, homes, relationships, or even their desire to keep going.
Conversely, I have also spoken with an astonishing amount of people who have found their dream job, met their new life partner, and are living a quality of life that they never dreamed possible.
As a Science of Mind minister, I am called to shift my focus from “what’s wrong with this picture” to “what’s right with this picture.” This does not mean that I walk around telling everyone that their challenges are “All Good!”
It does mean that I have learned how to cultivate a faith within me which remembers that the Highest Good is being revealed at all times, no matter what things look like in this moment.
Faith combined with Gratitude for All that Is, becomes the starting point for happiness and change. From there, we are called to dive deeper.
Sitting quietly in our homes, and knowing that All Is Well is really great, however, we must also take “Action” (which happens to be the theme for 2022!).
The song in your heart will continue to remain unwritten until you take the action of picking up your instrument, which allows the melody of The Universe to play through you.
There is that “still, small voice" of Spirit within each of us, which is actually the Divine Urge, yearning for expression.
One gift of the pandemic lockdown has been a re-focusing of the lens of our lives, reminding us of what is truly important…Love, Connection, Gratitude, and the Joy of Life Itself.
When we ignore that God voice, we are not shining our true radiant selves, and we are not able to show up for ourselves, or for anyone else.
Renowned author and teacher of mythology, Joseph Campbell, said:
“Follow your bliss…find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it.”
As Dr. James Mellon said last Sunday, “do the work - live the results.”
My daughter is in her second year of university, and she isn’t sure about the subject she has chosen to major in. I tell her to look for the courses that ignite a passion in her, and make her excited to get out of bed in the morning (which actually has always been a bit tough!). I know that Divine Spirit will unfold more of that for her, if she follows her bliss.
We all know that the “Pursuit of Happiness” is written into our Declaration of Independence, and, as Americans, we believe that it is not just a privilege, it is our right.
Spiritually speaking, that means that our inner happiness is an inside job. Master Teacher, Jesus, taught us that we are the light of the world, and that we need to let our light shine. Hiding our God-given light in a job we don’t adore is like hiding our Light under a bushel (or a desk).
Remember that you are a Child of The Universe, who has the gift of free will. You can use it to pursue your happiness, or not. The choice is yours. Love yourself, love others, and turn your spiritual lockdown upside down, by using your spiritual “get out of jail free card.”
Remember the words of Ernest Holmes, “..freedom is the birthright of every living soul.” Now, have at it!