I'm an aspiring angel...
but surely have fallen far from the mark.
I'm hardly alone. In fact, there doubtless
are many who fall into my category.
Well intentioned, but having a long way to go!
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an Angel as:
a spiritual being superior to humans in power and intelligence;
one of the lowest rank in the celestial hierarchy.
(Oh no, here I go again, starting at the lowest rung
of the Heavenly order!)
It goes on to say that an Angel is a spiritual being believed to act as
an attendant, agent, or messenger of God, conventionally
represented in human form with wings and a long robe.
(Drat. So far, no wings, no halo, and I don't
even own a long white robe!)
Well then, could I be an Angel investor? Hardly! This is a person
who supports a business financially, typically one who invests
private capital in a small or newly established enterprise.
Not yet there on that one!
Just for the record, here's the order of rank in the celestial
hierarchy.
There are nine orders according to medieval angelology (put that
in the new word department!): seraphim, cherubim, thrones,
dominations, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels.
All are divine messengers from God.
Here I am, thinking I'm reaching for the stars and when I make it to
Angel status, I'll only be in ninth place?! Sounds like my rank order
when a team leader was selecting gym mates to play kickball in the
fourth grade!
But I really do want to be an Angel. I realized about 35 years ago, the
only way for me to start working my way up that ladder was to start
learning about spirituality and spiritual practices.
And I faced that I had to start at the bottom.
I wanted peace, joy, harmony, love and right action in my life. But I
know, from experience, that it takes time, dedication and
commitment
to nurture an inner life and to follow a spiritual path.
Marianne Williamson says:
"Ultimately, the search for God and dedication to a spiritual life is a
lifestyle decision. Fill your life with meaningless stimuli and
mindless activity, and you will get just that - a meaningless,
mindless life. You might be successful in worldly terms, but you are
empty and bereft in spiritual terms. To go within is not turning our
backs on the real world; it is preparing ourselves to serve the world
more effectively."
In all seriousness, my personal goal is to become more and more
deeply connected to spirit, to God, to my intuition, to the wisdom of
the Universe and to be of service. I also believe that joy is the natural
state of the spiritually ordered person; it is an internal state of being
that
emerges from a profound belief in the sacredness of life.
In addition to hoping to enhance joy, my other goals are to:
- Bring my life into a place of harmony and balance
- Wake up to my full creative potential
- Open up to new ideas and fresh ways of doing things
- Learn to interpret events and circumstances optimistically
- Enjoy good health, well-being, and positive relationships
- Reconnect with Nature's cycles and
- Become a ray of light to the people around me
A tall order, I know!
I guess I'll save the Angel bit for when I pass to the other side
Here's a little prayer I'd like to end with:
Oh Lord
I ain't what I ought to be,
And I ain't what I want to be.
And I ain't what I'm going to be,
But Oh Lord, I thank you
That I ain't what I used to be.
AMEN.
Share this with a friend. See below.
Who is Kathleen Pasley?
Kathleen has a life that encompasses numerous
areas of endeavor: writing, fundraising, marketing
and spirituality.
Two things help define her: she has been on
a serious spiritual path for 35 years and has
known serious depressive episodes.
She is committed to speaking from the heart
on spiritual issues and sharing honestly
and openly about mental illness.
