Know when to Move Up Higher in Your Spiritual Work!

No Other Way
by Martha Smock*

Could we but see the pattern of our days,
We should discern how devious were the ways
By which we came to this, the present time,
This place in life; and we should see the climb
Our soul has made up through the years.
We should forget the hurts, the wanderings, the fears,
The wastelands of our life, and know
That we could come no other way or grow
Into our good without these steps our feet
Found hard to take, our faith found hard to meet.
The road of life winds on, and we like travelers go
From turn to turn until we come to know
The truth that life is endless and that we
Forever are inhabitants of all eternity.


Our spirit leads us all the time.

It tells us when we've saturated and exhausted a certain program
of spiritual study, and it's time to move a little higher on the spiritual
plane.

Most of us want to become complacent with a certain program we've found
works for us. However, that's not the way of the spiritual journey.


In her new book, Led by Faith, Immaculee Ilibagiza, wrote:

"It was through that struggle that I was taught one of the most
important lessons I’ve ever learned: Never take faith for granted.
Our relationship with the Lord is the most glorious love affair
we will ever experience, but like all relationships, it demands
nurturing—it requires hard work, constant attention, and deep
commitment in order to grow stronger and flourish. The renewal
of faith continues to take place in my life, and I have watched in
wonder as the people of Rwanda renew their faith in God, and as
the wounds of genocide are healed through His love.

Even in the best of times, life is challenging, and earthly concerns
can too easily interfere with our spirituality. As I stumbled
through the aftermath of the holocaust, I learned that finding
the Lord is not enough; we have to keep Him in our heart always.
We need to constantly discover God anew, trust Him in all things
great and small, and make sure that He remains part of our daily
life. We must always allow our hearts to be led by faith."

We constantly must be on the lookout for when we're to heed the call to go
further along the path and move on from a specific program or group.


How do we know?

If you find yourself stuck for several weeks, even months, on a challenge.
There is no seeming relief in sight, no matter how much time you've dedicated to
prayer and meditation, then, you must start looking closer.


When nothing is happening, good or bad, despite your best efforts, Spirit has done the equivalent of folding its hands to let you know you need to change your "diet" to connect more closely.

The folding of hands can come in the form of total, absolute intransigence in one or several areas. Everywhere you turn, you look, there is sameness, and the sameness does not feel "good" or "right."

"Come a little closer" is the whisper.


Often, to get out of the rut, you must seek out new truths. If a certain theme keeps recurring, you should become aware that you're being guided to examine this new path or program.

Leo Tolstoy: "We should not stop with the religious understanding that has been revealed to us already. We should not just stare at the light but use it to reveal new sides of the truth."



It does not mean you have to relinquish the path you've traveled so far, but
you're being asked to add to that program.

Everything works for us when we're new to a program of study. Indeed, even
with our religious practices, it is by following the tried and true that
we are able to sustain ourselves on a daily basis.

But this does not mean our search is complete.

The spiritual evolution is ever changing, ever moving, ever charging forward.
So must we.


Complacency is the mark of death of spiritual sustenance and for those who have ambitions to move closer to their truth.

Once we're here on earth, we will be asked to give up complacency for growth..if we're going to move further along than the point of entry and onto
the path.


You have to be open to Spirit and open-minded about other programs you have not yet examined, but seem inviting and seem to resonate "truth" to you.


Go look! Seek!

If it doesn't work, you always can go back to your "old" ways. Chances are, though, you won't because you'd have a raised and new consciousness.

Stay open. Listen. Learn. Grow.


Nurture your Spirit!

Namaste',

Che'
NOTE: Martha Smock is a Unity poet/writer. Her work has brought me lots of comfort and "sure steps" over the years, including recently when I rediscovered this poem.