Joy of the Deepest Kind

I get a thrill when a message in my various daily morning readings shows up in more than one, for I feel that there is synchronicity there and Spirit is clearly trying to communicate something that’s pretty important. This morning I got my thrill.

The topic of today’s Daily Word was Listen. The text included: In prayer, meditation, or with my own intuition, I pause and know what I am to do. For the good of myself, those near to me, and those I have yet to meet, I listen for and act on spiritual guidance.

Excerpted from today’s Science of Mind reading:

When we have reached the place of “nowhere to turn,” let us remind ourselves, as Jesus taught, it is the Father within who doeth the work. Our only responsibility is to go within to our own Christ Consciousness and accept divine guidance.

We begin to experience harmony in our lives and affairs to the degree that we allow spiritual guidance to influence our lives.

Affirmation
I lift my heart and mind to dwell on spiritual truths. I am transformed by the renewing of my mind.

Which leads me to today’s reading in Norman Vincent Peale’s Positive Living Day by Day: The individual who finds something useful to do beyond himself, who gives of himself, knows joy of the deepest kind.

For most of the past 20 years, a great deal of my ‘going beyond myself’ has been aimed at the 12 Step community. I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, recover from my addiction, and had my life and being transformed drastically. I found community that I so easily felt a part of. And, there I found meaning and purpose to my life as in no other place. I volunteered in a myriad of positions and, more importantly, directly helped people through peer counseling and holding a sacred place. This getting out of myself, going beyond myself, and finding something greater to contribute to the healing of the world brought me great joy. And, that joy is the deepest joy, feeling one with Spirit.

Since becoming inactive in the OA these last couple of years as my spiritual path took me beyond the 12 Steps, and not giving of much of myself in that way, I have lost and missed that higher meaning and purpose to my life. And, despite joys and many blessings in my life today, that “joy of the deepest kind” is asleep and I find my life and affairs not as harmonious as they could be.

Through increased prayer, meditation, my own intuition, and affirmation of my own Christ Consciousness, I am moving towards reawakening that joy as I look to serve in something bigger than me. I’m getting messages as to where to be of service and I am acting on that guidance. I am grateful.

As I give of myself, to that which is greater than myself, I heal myself and others. That is Oneness, that is God. Therein lays “joy of the deepest kind.”