Working in accord with the pastoral department, I was given free rein on the wards.  Most of the patients were suffering from serious cancers and cancer related disorders (these were mostly AIDS patients with Karposi’s sarcoma, but even then they were isolated from other patients).   I went to the hospital at all different kinds of times. Morning, afternoon, evening or weekends.  That way my presence wouldn’t be expected and I could attune myself to whatever Spirit directed to do.

I met truly wonderful souls.  I recall one feverish man saying to me, “I knew you would come.”  It brought tears to my eyes for whoever I was to that man at that moment it was perfect for him.  Another was a woman who refused to die when the doctors told her family she would die.  She told me from under her blankets, out of which she refused to come, “make them go away.  I am not dying.”  She waited four months and died on Valentine’s Day.  She never came out from under those covers, either. 

 In my capacity as both minister and hospice volunteer I learned many things.  One, I learned that women, at least on the inside, are often stronger than men and face death with a great dignity and often with humor.  One woman named Marie, who had grown up in the logging towns of Northern Michigan and was a lumber worker herself, was dying of lung cancer.  She never complained.  Not once.  And every time I talked to her she would tell what a great life she had had.  “I smoked, I drank, I danced…what more could you ask for?” she said.  I was, to say the least, blown away.

But the woman who I remember the most was a corpulent black woman in her late 30’s.  When I entered her room I noted she was being fed iv’s from four tubes.  One in each thigh and one in each arm.  Her “sisters” were like angels tending to her every need.  Not one sour face existed among them.  No tears, just praises to Jesus.  I went to the woman and saw a radiant beautiful face.  She looked at me as I took her hand and said, “It is a blessing, it is all a blessing.”  I could hardly hold back the tears welling up from my throat and coming into my eyes.  She squeezed my hand and I asked her if there was anything I could do for her.  She squeezed back and said, “No, Jesus sent me these angels and He is my Savior.”

Well, that did it.  My heart burst open (as it is now even in writing this) and I felt as if I were in the presence of a spiritual giant.  It was I who was being blessed as well.  I stood in awe and walked away silently holding and calling in the Light (something I did for all the patients, as well as planting Light Columns in the rooms).

I came back the next day and found she had died.  The nurses praised her and said she never stopped smiling, right  up to the end.

As I stood reflecting on her, I realized I was shown something unique.  I had seen surrender, complete surrender and trust.  It is not something that has come easily to me, though I work towards it more and more.  Surrender.  Contemplate it.  To give over to God completely and in loving.  To not know fear, anxiety or dread, but to stand in our own heart and really let go and let God.  To feel the threads of negativity we hold just shred out of us and dissolve before us as a veil being lifted till we see Jesus standing there before us.

Whenever I reflect on this event, I experience as the blessing that keeps giving because she gave me the blessing within the blessing: surrender.

In Loving Light,

John Kadela, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA

We really don’t have to be worried about solving the world’s problems or the issues that we find about peace. It’s much more important to begin with ourselves. We find our own peace by being aware of the peace that is present.

Then, as we have that awareness, it allows us to do peaceful things, to come in peace and to be at peace with what is present.

- John Morton

Finding Peace in Today’s World Webcast Class with John Morton
http://msia.org/live

For each one gathered here we ask for Your blessing, that You will surround, fill and protect each of us as we go forward from this point into this new year.

We extend that blessing to all that is here on the planet to teach us, to bring us the experience that creates greater wisdom, joy, peace and harmony. We see in the fulfillment of what You have prepared that we are celebrated. This is our destiny — to move into celebration and know consciously that every moment, condition and circumstance in which we find ourselves is one that causes fulfillment and causes us to wake up in our beauty, our grace, and our majesty. There is nothing in this world, no negativity or hurt, nothing that can be done, that can ever interfere with Your will that we come home.

In the coming home, we are joined with all, and all look upon us in celebration. So we experience the songs of joy, the dance that is our true movement. We find it is right here, right now, in this place, in this life. And we give thanks.

We give thanks for this gathering and another beautiful day of Your creation. We celebrate the meaning of this day that represents how, through You, all things are made new. We open ourself and let go of all things we do not need, that do not serve our consciousness for the highest good. As we let go, we are letting all of Your wisdom, grace and beauty flood into every aspect of who we are, so we are cleansed and purified. We are completed through Your blessings.

We have an experience of a brand new day, a dawning, and what we see before us is the makings of heaven on earth: a life that is full of health, wealth, and happiness, loving, caring and sharing and all of Your riches, Your wealth, Your prosperity, Your abundance that is to be shared this day. We ask that this blessing may go out all around the planet so those who are ready, those who are chosen in this moment, and whenever that may be, may awaken to this blessing, and live in this blessing, as we do in our heart and soul, fulfilling the commandment to love one another as You have loved us.

Baruch Bashan

Imagine what you can become even if you do not see how to apply yourself now. Imagining works to create. Look for the next steps involved in creating what you want. Tune in to the enthusiasm that comes with your experience of making progress. Find how you can best cooperate so that your experience is more joy, more peace, more understanding and so that your life becomes a greater contribution to all. Know that there is nothing to fear. Convert fear to your friend by confronting it through greater strength and trust. Invite fear into conversation. Find how fear brings to you your next steps for your upliftment and growth. Be patient as you hold for each step to come forward in ways that work for you and with whatever is needed. Be open to all the blessings in store for you in the ways and timing of the Lord. Inside of you, there is a place of tremendous richness, a vast array of beautiful treasures and riches, enough for everyone and more than you can behold. Understand that what you can behold is yours. So if you can see it, it is yours. There is no limit on what you can behold. So do not even consider the limit. God offers you the kingdom, and throughout all this kingdom there is no lack. There is no limit. Understand your abundance, your wealth of consciousness. Behold yourself and everything as precious of God, as the blessings of God, and give thanks.