Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to. – From the movie, “Miracle On 34th Street“

Happy Sunday!

When I was a teenager I read a book about an order of nuns who lived totally on faith, full believing that God would provided for their daily needs.  I recall that they farmed for some food but otherwise they relied on gifts from others that would just appear at the door when it was needed.  I remember being really moved by the faith of these women as described in this book and, to me what were miracles, of their receiving exactly the things that were needed on the day they needed it.  As I have grown through my life I’ve never forgotten this book, always wondering and hoping that faith in God could deliver the things I need just as I had read in this book.
In recent years I have seen TV shows and read books that talk about the “law of attraction”.  The first time I heard of this was watching an Oprah re-run that was about the movie “The Secret.”  It is a movie of dramatic clips with interviews of spiritual teachers explaining this law.
Wikipedia gives the following description “The law of attraction is the name given to the belief that “like attracts like” and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, one can bring about positive or negative results. This belief is based upon the idea that people and their thoughts are both made from pure energy, and the belief that like energy attracts like energy. “
I haven’t felt comfortable with this “law” because it seems like the examples that I have been shown in the media are always about people focusing on material gain, more like magic.
ACIM says about magic, “Miracles bear witness to truth.  They are convincing because they arise from conviction.  Without conviction they deteriorate into magic, which is mindless and therefore destructive; or rather; the uncreative use of the mind.” – Ch.1, Meaning of Miracles #14.
So not buying fully into the use of the ‘law of attraction’ seems supported to me by ACIM – that doesn’t mean I don’t think it is possible.  I do believe we are co-creators of our world.  I definitely see everyday in my life that I ‘reap what I sow’ and by putting good loving energy out into the world brings that back to me.  I also agree with theories that our consciousness affects matter through the quantum wave, dropping light energy from wave into particles.  What I don’t feel comfortable about is this magic side of this law, to manifest material items that are just wanted and perhaps not needed.
For the last few weeks I have been reading “E-Squared, Nine Do-it-yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Energy.” by Pam Grout.  I have been doing one experiment each week and I am enjoying the author’s explaination of the science and theories behind the different experiments.  I got to the fourth experiment and this one is testing the law of attraction – I felt un-easy about this right away.  For the experiment we are asked to focus on something we want and to be specific about the object we want to be able to manifest it.  I could not think of anything material I wanted so I decided on a gift of love from my husband, something material is what I specified.
I stayed positive and focused for two days and on the second day as I entered the kitchen for dinner it hit me, “this is my gift, Peter making dinner for me!”  I wanted to doubt my intuition because we weren’t lovey-dovey or anything; I was tired from just getting in from yoga and he was stressed over cooking the meal and had just thrown me out of the kitchen for trying to help.  As I thought about it I reluctantly began to accept that I did get what I asked for – I have no doubt of the love there, it was a material gift as I had asked, it just wasn’t flowers or candy, or some little thing he found that he thought I would like.  I felt low for a few days trying to figure out what was going on.
The beginning of the week I also started reading Neale Donald Walsch’s “Conversation with God”. So while I was reflecting on the gift I had manifested something in this book hit a nerve.  God says he always answers our prayers but it is the “thought behind the thought” that is reflected.  So what was my thought behind the thought of my gift?
The experiment said to be specific for what you wanted to receive, I didn’t do that as my mind said there wasn’t anything material I had wanted.  The idea of a ring had popped into my head when I was considering the experiment but I recalled pushing that idea aside.  Logically do I want a ring, no, I don’t wear the ones I have.  As I reflected this made me think about why I didn’t focus on receiving more.  Was my thought behind my thought that I still was feeling un-worthy of deserving such a gift?  I didn’t know the answer to this question, I hoped it wasn’t true as I have come so far in loving and accepting myself in the last couple of years.  So I let this go to see where my lesson would lead me this week. I always expect the lesson to be on Love: to help me accept myself, to help me to Love and accept others, and to know and feel God’s LOVE.
So here it is Sunday morning and I am letting my thoughts flow on this situation that has been on my mind.  Here are my thoughts as I write this:
What is the purpose of the material things we have?  As givers we love to give gifts to those we love as a symbol of that love.  Perhaps God uses material objects in the same way.  Maybe some people need those material things to feel God’s love.
This morning Joel Osteen spoke about our having faith that what we have now is just what we need for the life we are living today.  When we need more to handle the next phase of our lives, God will provide more.  Joel said when God puts a dream in your heart to have faith that he will also provide what you need to achieve that dream.  I think this is the missing piece to accepting the ‘law of attraction’ and to aid in my understanding and acceptance of others.  For that example in the “E-squared” book of the woman who dreamed of going to Mexico and how the money appeared on the last day she needed it, she was given a dream perhaps only to be the example in this best selling book.  And for the many spiritual teachers like Oprah who are very wealthy, they are following the dreams put in their hearts by God and are then being given the resources needed to bring their teachings to the world.
In Neale’s book, God says that our purpose on earth is for the experience so that we can know who we are.  This idea really takes all judgement away – my experience is not meant to be the same as another’s experience.  And should we not be given the tools we need to have our individual experience?

Thank you God for questions and answers.

Thank you God for greater understanding of others.

Thank you God for giving me the things I need.

 
“On life’s journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him.” – Buddha