God... The Fairy Godmother?

Can't say I've ever read about God's love for us - and in turn, our love for others - in quite this way before...  And I love it!  So, I thought I would share:

"As children of God, we've been given free will: we can think with Him, or not think with Him.  But we cannot limit the creative power of our thoughts.  When our thoughts are thoughts of love, then we are aligned with and receive His power.  When our thoughts are judgmental, then we are choosing to turn our backs to God.  We can no longer see the light He is shining on us when we stop shining it on others.

"Cinderella's Fairy Godmother did not say to Cinderella, 'That stepmother of yours is such a bitch...  We'll show her!'  She could not have said those things, or even thought them, and retained her mystical power.

"'But,' you might say, 'the stepmother was so mean to Cinderella, and the stepsisters were almost as awful!  Doesn't the stepmother deserve to be judged?'

"Notice that the Fairy Godmother obviously registered the fact that the stepmother was out of line, or she would not have stopped by in the first place.  Clearly, she thought the situation needed to be rectified, or she wouldn't have brought her wand.  But the Fairy Godmother was too wise to take sides.  The archetypal wicked stepmother lives in all of us, as much as Cinderella does.  The stepmother is not where we are bad; she is where we are wounded, divorced from our true nature.  The Fairy Godmother came to heal, not to judge.

"Cinderella's refusal to surrender to thoughts of retribution is part of what drew the Fairy Godmother to her in the first place.  Hate can summon the powers of the world, but only love can summon the powers of God.  It takes tremendous faith in the power of love to refuse to hate those who believe in hateful ways.  Yet in that refusal lies our grace."

--Marianne Williamson, Everyday Grace

 

 

She has such a wonderful, and whimsical, way of making her points about who we are in relation to God.  It's great reading on a Sunday afternoon!  Here's one more tidbit from the same chapter:

 

"When we realize our mission is to love and forgive, we realize that every situation is an opportunity to do so...  Every situation is a lesson in becoming who we are capable of being."

 

 

Things I am thankful for today:

 

1.  Nine hours of sleep!

2.  Day one is done - and went just fine!

3.  Day two is off to a good start.

4.  A man shared his life/faith story at church today...  He's someone that some avoid, but has quite the story of faith!  I was blessed to hear his story.

5.  My youth group kids make me laugh.

6.  Making a coffee date with a kid that reached out to me.  Prayers for this teen.

7.  The hubby turning the sounds "off" on his phone.  It's a gift to me, I know.  (Grin.)

8.  Dinner with friends again tonight!

9.  Marianne Williamson's insights.

10.  Forgiveness.

 

QotD:  Where do you want to travel next?

So many places fill my daydreams...  But I've been stuck on a trip to Morocco with Mike for a while now...  Maybe in a couple of years?!