Finding Daily Inspirations and Journalling

In 1985, during the beginning of the darkest period of my life, I was in counseling with an Episcopal priest – a very gentle, wise, and caring person. At one session, he gave me an assignment to write a letter to God – to share my deepest feelings, thoughts, fears, and questions. I came back the next session and read my letter. We talked about what I had written, and felt, and the questions I was asking “God” to answer. The letter was a very positive experience.

For the next session, my assignment was to write a letter from God to me. This felt very alien and somehow forbidden. How could I presume to talk for “God”? For my whole life – at least since eight years old – I had tried really hard to hear God’s voice – to be open to His verbal expression in my thoughts and decisions.

It had never really happened.

As I prepared to write this letter, I found a quiet place – alone – closed my eyes, and whispered some kind of prayer – then I listened, and put my pen to the paper, writing, “Dear Will”. I simply began to write what was coming to the surface of my mind. I don’t remember what I wrote, but I do remember a growing sense of warmth, and a caring sense of Presence. Someone seemed to be there in a new and unusual way.

I continued the letter for several days. And when I came back for the next session, I shared my letter and the experience with the priest. I thought out loud my wonder at what it would be like to do this every day as part of my finding daily inspirations.

I went back to my office after the session, and got a steno pad. And nearly every day since then I have started my day by writing down, “Dear God” – expressing my feelings, fears, struggles, and questions – asking for support, direction, and Presence. And then after a quiet stillness, writing down what I felt I heard – deep, deep inside.

At first what I heard was very simple and loving, with simple loving support and suggestions. It has never really involved direct instructions or “commands”. In fact, over time I began to realize that the primary result of what I heard was the “answers” to four critical questions that would ultimately determine the quality of my life.
1. Is Somebody really there? Is there a personal Someone – not just some life force that merely blows life and death around according to some organized set of rules and laws? I had tried so hard to find this Somebody with my mind through books and education and religion since I was a small child. My mental attempts had failed miserably.
2. Does this Someone really care about me? Am I important to this personal being? Does what I feel and experience matter to Someone? Does this Someone have caring concern about my life and my welfare?
3. Can this Someone take care of me? How powerful and effective is this person? When I have a problem, does He and/or She have the ability to really take care of “things’? Or are they just concerned spectators who sit helplessly by, watching my demise?
4. Are they taking care of me right now? Are they actually actively doing what is needed to take care of me? Do they have a plan and a destiny for my life – that I would want and agree with if I could see with their eyes?

To me these are the ultimate spiritual and emotional questions of the human race – and certainly of my life. And the answers are not “yes or no”. In fact the part of my brain that would answer “yes or no” really has no access to the experiences and awakenings that really has the answers.

Finding daily inspirations and journalling has become a lifestyle, an ongoing healing process and journey. And in the coming days, I will be sharing more and more of my experience, strength and hope, with the belief that you too can be finding daily inspirations that make your life a better place by higher design.