This past Monday in America was Labor Day; a day when family and friends all throughout the country gather to grill their favorite barbecued delicacies. This was the case for me and my extended family as well … a fun day was had by all.

Toward the end of the evening, the conversation turned rather serious. One of my family members ranted for about thirty minutes on old family wounds. As time went by I grew more and more troubled. I tried to insert myself into the diatribe several times, only to be talked over by this venting family member.

Finally, I was able to say my piece. I began by describing how this very family member and I had been estranged for years. I had held onto bitterness about something he had done … I was unforgiving for almost a decade. Now, however, we have a very close relationship again. This was made possible by my forgiving him … and not holding on to bitterness.

Both he and his wife adamantly defended the bitterness that that he was holding on to. They explained that my situation was very different, and I guess somehow not as valid, in their minds (although it was QUITE the doozy).

I could have argued, but I didn’t see the point … I wasn’t there to win a competition. So I simply said,

“It really doesn’t matter whether your reason is valid or not. Holding onto bitterness creates a blockage. This prevents God’s love from healing you in that part of your life. It’s that simple.”

They didn’t really care for my directness, I could tell. If it was anybody other than family, or a close friend, I might not have said it … or maybe I would have.
I was troubled by the energy they were putting out, so I spoke the words that I felt I was prompted to say.

A seed was planted. I can tell because it is been on my mind sporadically throughout the week. I have come to recognize this as God using the energy I have committed to whatever end God has in mind (which is the primary reason we need to be careful with how we commit our energies). Hopefully that seed will have some spiritual fruit.

Since this has been on my mind it has wound up permeating my meditations throughout the week. It is not just bitterness … it is EVERYTHING. Anything that we hold on to … prevents us from moving forward and doing what we are meant to be doing.

This could be anything; ranging from fear, to family drama, to all the possessions you have amassed, to the place you have chosen to live, or the person you’ve chosen to love. This does not mean that we must abandon all of these things … simply that we should not be clinging to those things.

My post today was regarding visions. I believe in visions, and I have visions … they are definitely very different from dreams. I was given a vision regarding my life, and how I am supposed to live it. It hasn’t seemed especially difficult up until now … there have been hard times for me, of course, but I’ve been through worse. When it really becomes difficult is when being faithful to your vision begins affecting other people, some of whom you love.

It seems that being faithful to my vision could actually mean letting go of every single thing I have ever achieved, amassed, or created. Many of those things, and relationships, were a product of the shut down person I had become.

Now, as an awakened, openhearted person, those things and relationships hold me back … shackling me to the false constructs I once created. I hate to see pain or suffering … especially if I am the cause of it. So my natural reaction is to hold on … but holding on to anything is really holding yourself back.

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Religion4All is an idea: that every human being (no matter their race, religion, sexuality, social status, lifestyle, or any other possible factor) is LOVED by God; just … as … they are.

We all are loved by God, and NO religion or person has a monopoly on it. Every single person on this planet is loved equally by God … SO many are cut off from God because they are told they don’t belong. God loves everyone … we ALL are beautiful creations … we don’t need to cringe when we hear the words “God”, or “religion”, or their judgments … God LOVES us all!

There is no requirement to change in order to be LOVED by God, or to LOVE God. God is LOVE, and LOVE is God … period. There is no one who God loves more than anyone else … there are only those who choose to LOVE more … to love God more, and consequently then to love each other more. In doing so, we grow closer to God … and know God.

By opening our hearts, and minds to God (free of boundaries like religion, or social trends); by LOVING God … we are exactly where we are meant to be. If we maintain that openness, never allowing any person or event to make us close our hearts, we will be guided by God to be who we are meant to be.

In that space of openness we can then live a life of LOVE, and be guided to where we are meant to be … forever in LOVE.

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