eat, pray, love - reflections

Today I heard from Liz some great truth for me. She saw all this in India. Things I have wanted for so long to experience and feel within myself, she expressed so beautifully here as she sat on a roof of an ashram in India.

Steps to Freedom
1. Life's Metaphors are God's Instructions
2. You have just climbed up to the top of the roof. There is nothing between you and the infinite. Now, let go.
3. The day is ending, it's time for something that was beautiful to turn into something that else that is beautiful. Now, let go.
4. You're wish for resolution was a prayer. Your being here is God's response. Let go and watch the stars come out - on the outside and on the inside.
5. With all your heart ask for grace and let go.
6. With all your heart, forgive him, forgive yourself and let them go.
7. Let you intention be freedom from useless suffering, then let go.
8. Watch the heat of day pass into the cool night. Let go.
9. When the Karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. It's safe. Let go.
10. When the pass has passed from you at last, let go. Then climb down and begin the rest of your life with great joy.

These words really hit me. Just after this she writes, "As smoking is to the lungs, so is resentment to the soul. Even one puff of it is bad for you."

This week I have been striving to forgive others and let go. To forgive myself and let go. The imagery I have with Liz's experience is so vivid. I can almost feel myself on that roof amidst a black sky filled with stars popping out one by one. This was one of my favorite past-times in high school. Even in the city lights, I was able to see stars and feel, somehow, closer to God.

I rarely make time to look at the stars and feel my smallness in relation to the world. God is so much bigger than my resentments. Why do I need to focus on those? I want to focus on the bigger of the two, let go and grow. I want increased contact and communion with the divine, not the angry feelings I seek within.

I may never make it to an ashram in India, but I have stars here. I have stars anywhere I go (even if they are hard to see). I hope to let go of my resentments, forgive and let go into the deep abyss of God's unfailing love.