Bring on the Light!

It so often seems like a switch was hit and light appeared as a swift miracle, but Epiphany is more like a dawning that reaches its pinnacle and day arrives. Let's not forget that dawning is slow and steady, no matter how suddenly day comes to consciousness.

Oh, Light, guide me into the darkness!

Each year as I anticipate the deed of the Inner Christmas Messages I am in the darkness of midnight seeking the Star.  The Star is the Theme for the year's messages. The Star points to areas of deep darkness in the soul where smaller stars wait to be illuminated - these are the topics for each of the 12 messages.

This year's Star felt particularly bright to me, bright enough to guide me into particularly deep dark hidden mysteries. The darkness was difficult to illuminate, the star painful to see (recognize, feel, put to words, share with you).

The messages took longer to imagine and write this year. Why? You readers made fewer comments and gave fewer donations, although the your numbers regarding opening the messages were the same as other years. Why?

Are we, you and I, so challenged and disturbed or awestruck at bringing our sacred attention to the importance of Thou in our lives of feeling, thought, and deed?

Do we think that anyone of us can be whole, free, and manifest without many encounters with many Thou's?

Does this awareness of the gift of encounter and this deep need for the active, intimate, and transforming relationship of others feel threatening to our sense of independence, autonomy, or worth?

Personally, I was often challenged to put a face on the Thou or an event on the Encounter.

Veils lifted on each of the Twelve experiences of Thou and on the inner activity and purpose of the encounters just enough to begin an inner dawning to this profound presence of love in my life, but not always enough for clear images to form.

And then I noticed and shuddered as the growing light brought an awareness of the dark shadows of egotism in my soul  - reminding me of my 3 year old grandson demanding "I can do it myself!!!!!" Strengthening for a young child, but weakening for an adult.

Now on Epiphany, I look into the future and know I will be more alert and attentive to Encounters with Thou. I will strive to embrace them with consciousness and receive the comforting and challenging gifts they offer to cultivate and nurture wholeness in my feeling life, freedom in my thinking life, and manifestation in my willing life.  I know that no gratitude or reciprocity is desired beyond my openness to the gifts.

A profound epiphany that arose in the last few days,  was recognition that all the great teachers of humanity were dependent on encounters with Thou. Buddha, Abraham, Jesus Christ, Mohammed.  Ask yourself why the calling out to the Apostles was so necessary for the mission of Christ and contemplate the presence of the feminine Thou's, the Mother, the Magdalene, Martha, the encounters with the shepherds and Magi at the Nativity and the glorious encounter with the Thou of John the Baptist at the River Jordan.  This awareness so inspires me.

Again, please share your thoughts. Inspire the rest of us with your questions, your insights, your encounters.

May 2014 be filled with Encounters with Thou's...

Thou as Womb
Thou as World
Thou as Healer
Thou as Wounder

Thou as Teacher
Thou as Questioner
Thou as Party-Giver
Thou as Drill-Sergeant

Thou as Namer
Thou as Protector
Thou as Regulator
Thou as Editor

Much overflowing love and gratitude to all,
Lynn