Cameron - Life lessons: 125 prayers and meditations

All too often we yearn for a more spiritual life but tell ourselves its too difficult. We believe that God is hard to reach and so, discouraged before we begin, we do not even try. The truth is that God is easy for us to reach. The smallest prayer is heard and answered. The simplest overture meets with a loving response.

The tiny book you hold in your hands is a book of simple prayers and meditationsor, if you prefer, a book of simple overtures to God. Each one offers a starting place. Taken collectively, they offer an approach to God that is powerful as well as simple. These prayers are not a one-way street. They not only allow us to reach out to God, they also allow God to reach out to us.

I have called this little book Life Lessons because each entry is a corrective to our commonly held ideas about the divine. Like the postures assumed in hatha yoga, they stretch us gently. As we assume the positions indicated, each entry becomes a lesson. We learn more of Godand of ourselves.

In this book you will find that God speaks to you as both I and We. This is because we are sometimes guided by a singular force, and sometimes by a ministry of angels.

Little one, why are you anxious? Why do you worry and fret? I am with you always and I intend you great good. Still your frantic imaginings. Feel my calm. There is no need for panic. You are led carefully and well. There is always a choice: fear or faith. With faith comes the certainty that my world is unfolding exactly as it should. Trust in me. Trust in Godgood, orderly direction. Everything is in divine order. There is a place for you, safe and protected. Feel my security. I prosper you. You are my child.

Little one, you turn a blind eye to the beauties of my world. I say to you, Open your eyes and with your eyes your heart. Dare to love. Dare to appreciate the loveliness all around you. On a snowy night feel my peace and tranquillity. Snowbound, let me be your companion. Feel my calm. I am peaceful and so, too, can you be. Rest your heart in my quietude. Dismantle your fears and trust that all is well.

Dear one, bring me your troubles. I take great joy in untangling your complicated life. You are overwhelmed but I am not. Your many problems are childs play to me. You have a shadowed heart, but I bring light to it. I illuminate your difficulties. I give you a lantern heart. Ask me for guidance and I will lead you one step at a time. Your path becomes broad and clear. I bring you clarity and grace.

Little one, you have lost a beloved. Your heart is numb, stricken with grief. You feel empty as if your loss has scraped bare the chambers of your heart. Listen to what I tell you now: death is a portal. Your beloved lives on. What you see as an ending is really a beginning. Your loved one feels joy, not sorrow; expansion and freedom as the transition to being home brings happiness and peace. Celebrate your beloveds life. Do not mourn what is past. Go forward listening for the subtle signs that life lives on. Your loved one loves you still. Offer prayers of gratitude for all you shared. Your bond continues as you open your heart.

Hurried one, you pray for guidance but then rush on, missing my reply. You tell yourself I ignore you when it is you who ignores my answer. Hear me now: slow down, temper your frantic pace. Velocity is not your friend. Breathe deeply. Open your heart. Inhale the guidance that I would give to you. Focus on the precise moment we are in. Count it as a blessing. My guidance comes to you softly, without haste. Listen.

Little one, you strain for a solution. You push the river seeking an instant answer. You are without patience, without faith. I say to you, Relax. Let go and let God. My answers are perfect and they come to you with skilled timing. So rest. Do not force events to yield to your will. Trust my timing and my benevolence. I wish you well.

Little one, you feel alone and abandoned. This is false thinking. You are never alone, never abandoned. We are always at your side, guarding and protecting you. Ask us for help and know that help comes to you. As you slow your pace, you feel our presence. Trust us completely.