Living from Spirit

New Thought minister Mary Manin Morrissey said, "Our real work is to bring forth the presence of God through our lives for all the lives that we touch. When others pass our way, they will feel the touch of God, they will be encouraged, they will be supported, they will be blessed by the presence that we bring to whatever it is that we are doing. That is our real work."

So, how do we bring the presence of God into everyday life? Well, what I have found in my life is that spirit expresses itself naturally as I get in touch with my own spiritual nature. The process of living from spirit begins at the core of our being and radiates outward. We all become more skilled as we practice, then one day we look at our lives and see evidence that God's nature is expressing itself through the vehicle of our lives. We are then living our lives from spirit!

Other words for spirit are energy or life force. Have you noticed that energy always finds a way? Streams cut pathways down mountain slopes, leafy branches spring forth from newly pruned bushes and tiny sprouts appear beneath dried leaves after the snow is gone. Have you ever seen grass growing up through the asphalt? Life energy is very determined! Spirit, too, finds avenues of expression in you and me.

Great spiritual masters, like Jesus, expressed powerful life force and made God real by demonstrating forgiveness, serving others and healing the sick. Jesus empowered humankind, and gave us awareness of our own Divine nature and potential. The creative energy that flowed through Jesus and other masters also flows through you and me, and is manifested in the outworking of our lives. God seeks to express through us as us. In other words, we are the hands and feet of God!

One way spirit speaks to us is through other people, such as when I spoke to my friend Amy Juchem who plays the Crystal Bowls. She invited me to attend the Sound Symposium in San Jose, California, earlier this year. The trip didn't seem possible, yet I could tell that it was spirit speaking to me and, because of that, I listened. The trip came together faster, easier and cheaper than I could have ever imagined! It seems that the areas of my life where I am living from spirit are very fulfilling to me. Expressing my spiritual nature brings me great joy. I also see that in the areas of my life where spirit prevails, I don't feel "stuck". I enjoy life so much more than I used to.

I believe that our inner spirit uses our emotions to get our attention. A joyful emotion is a sign that guides us to continue in the direction we are heading. An uncomfortable feeling can let us know that we are either heading in the direction opposite the one that would be best for us, or it lets us know that we may be over-focusing on what is not bringing us joy.

I am finding that the more I live from spirit, the more I have people in my life that are ready to share special spiritual friendships. I recently met up with an old friend of mine whom I haven't seen in a year. We knew each other from work and drifted apart when she got a new job. We now are able to connect in even more ways than before because I have grown to be a little more like her and she has grown to be a little more like me. Even with our diversity, we have more in common and can see life from a similar perspective. In the areas of my life where I am living from spirit, there is expansion going on, a never ending expansion where I learn more about myself and humankind. I am able to express more love, creativity and joy than I did a year or even six months ago!

Are there ways you have yet to express your spiritual nature? Perhaps there is some activity that you do regularly that you have not brought into your spiritual realm; like exercise or relating to your coworkers, or maybe some pattern of behavior while driving! You will recognize any areas that could use the loving energy of spirit, because these areas may not be working as well for you as the other areas of your life.

In what ways are you expressing your spiritual nature? How are you the hands and feet (and eyes and mouth) of God? What kind of work do you do? Do you enjoy your volunteer work or your hobbies? What kinds of things and what kind of life are you creating?

I express my spiritual nature through praying for others, authoring my newsletter and website and co-facilitating the local spiritual networking group. At work I am known for passing out heart stickers on Valentine's Day and birthdays. Of course, it was more than stickers that I offered. I shared love and joy, and provided a little break from "work". This, too, is me living from spirit!

Spirit expresses through the activity of our lives and brings us great joy. I bet you can think of some new ways you'd like to express God's nature!