Everyday Inspiration: Pray FROM not FOR
Dear Magnificent Ones,
Do you remember the parable of the drowning man who is surviving a flood by standing on his rooftop? He prays to God to reach down and save him by picking him up in his hands.
A man in a rowboat comes by and shouts to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you!” The stranded man shouts back, “No it’s okay, I’m praying to God to save me!” The rowboat moves on. Then a motorboat comes by and shouts, “Jump and I can save you!”
To this the man replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.” The motorboat goes on. Then a helicopter comes by and hollers, “Grab this rope and it will lift you to safety!” To this, the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he will save me.”
Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. In heaven, he finally got a chance to say to God, “I had faith in you, but You let me drown. Why?” To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat, motorboat and a helicopter, what else could I have done?”
In this man’s vision he had conjured up a limited way he could receive the help he needed i.e, by being lifted by God’s hand. It didn’t happen the way he visualized it. Therefore losing sight of the other ways in which he could have been saved.
How many times are we this same man?
Haven’t you been stuck on a certain outcome that you thought would make your life better? Like if I win this trial or get a job in this city, I will be happier. Have you ever thought that if you could achieve this one thing you could find the Peace, Contentment, and Freedom that has eluded you for some time?
I am reminded of this myself whenever I start creating a list of ways to get through a particular phase or time period. Like a written prayer telling Spirit that in order to lift me up or set me free from this situation I need to see the following things happen. I think I know the only way to getting the result. Therefore cutting myself off to all the possibilities that may reside outside of that box. I can no longer see the boat, the helicopter or the rope as gifts from beyond or as stepping-stones, my vision limited only to my list.
More astonishingly, when I present my laundry list of ways to get what I want I subconsciously RE-commit myself to the exact same level of existence in which I currently reside. This is because I can only see from where I am. This is all I know. I may be cutting myself off from a greater opportunity because I can’t know or see the bigger picture.
Spirit may have bigger plans than you could possibly dream of, or know for yourself. If you don’t let go and leave it to something greater, you will never know what that is. Yes, there is Faith, trust and Patience involved. The form it may take may not be familiar. It may not come at the speed you wish.
The drowning man would have accepted an alternative means of rescue that day if he had been open to other possibilities. However because he was so stuck in his limited view of what the rescue looked like for him, he perished.
This is true in life. Can you be open to a different possibility to what you had originally planned? Can you accept that life doesn’t take orders?
“You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you.” – Joseph Campbell
Are you Ready?
As you take each step I will be there reminding you of your Magnificence, and I will continue to do so, until you are able to see it in yourself. © Copyright. Jennifer Annenberg Productions. 2013. All Rights Reserved. This publication may not be reproduced under any circumstances without the written consent of Jennifer Annenberg.
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