Growth is the purpose of all existence. All experiences, all actions, regardless of their outcome, facilitate growth, even if they outwardly appear otherwise. This is how Soul learns and grows, even though sometimes imperceptibly slowly. Like spiritual alchemy, growth - when viewed through the lens of Soul, - is an endless journey, not necessarily toward perfection, but toward an expansion of awareness and the ability to see life´s blessings in our everyday lives. Through experimentation, trial and error, and an infinite number of subtle course corrections, Soul ascends to ever wider viewpoints of perception and greater levels of acceptance. In this process, spanning millennia, there are no failures, no mistakes, no setbacks, wrong turns, accidents, or coincidences. All is of value, and no effort is wasted.
As seekers of the higher truth, searching for the answers to the eternal questions, "Who am I?", "Why am I?", and "Where do I come from?" has consumed much of our time, energy and resources. Outwardly, we push ourselves through harsh, austere practices, binding our freedom in orthodox religions and unnecessary disciplines, chasing truth´s shadow to far-off, distant shores. Only after we have exhausted all searching and have come up empty, when we feel hopeless, lost, and don´t know in which direction to take another step, will we finally still ourselves and turn within. There is no reason to be discouraged, for this experience is only a part of the divine play. When we have submitted our stubborn will and cast aside our ego, truth washes up at our shores. Each in its own time, by grace and by our earned ability to recognize spiritual gold, we will come to understand that the treasure we have long sought after has been there waiting for us the entire time.
The Divine River of Life rolls on, expanding throughout eternity, with or without our recognition or participation. To remain in a fixed state of consciousness, either by setting anchor at the shoreline or tethering ourselves to the past, is futile, for anyone who chooses to remain in their present state of consciousness will soon find that life has moved beyond them. Their friends have outgrown them, and their resources and opportunities appear as though they are receding. It is not that the Creator has forsaken them or that they are being punished, only that they have not embraced the spiritual law of Growth, which demands change. Resisting change only brings hardship.
The way of surrender is sometimes called the easy way, not because it is easy, but because when we are still and allow the current to carry us to a higher state of awareness, Soul will hear the inner melodies and see the divine light, which will clearly guide our next steps along our path, giving us the strength, spiritual nourishment, and courage needed to grow.
When we have let go of everything that has held us back - our fears, our shame, our guilt - and we have nothing left to hold on to, the current will carry us to a new and brighter state of endless possibilities. Faith will take us only so far; it is actual experience in the Light and Sound in the river of the Creator that forms the foundation of unconditional trust. Without that trust, one will never willingly leap into the void!
