Returning to God calls us to become navigators within our inner world. “The Way” lies in navigating through life’s ever-shifting experiences from the helm of our True Self, or God within. Externals, like the wealthy, high-class people upon the opulent, elegant Titanic cannot buy us lasting happiness or security.

In order to navigate through our fearful thinking and reactive behaviours we need to first of all be aware we have ‘lost’ our way. When we feel ourselves succumbing to our fearful, depressed, angry, insecure feelings – we can feel the feelings but then, would be best served by carefully observing our thoughts. If we feel the feeling and do not feed the feelings with the sad story lines we tell ourselves we will soon notice the feelings change, shift, move on.

Be gentle with yourself in this process. This is not about blaming or judging ourselves. Getting hi-jacked by our negative thoughts which then fuel our feelings is part of the human condition. Just today, I was telling our nineteen year old son this is something I have to work at every day. “There is a heaven and hell and it is right in here,” I told him as I tapped my head.

And, life IS difficult. Ever-growing numbers of people are losing their jobs, homes, financial security, loved ones and facing a myriad of life challenges. Also our western world values are turned inside out. Shrewd marketing trumps up the value of external things and the value of knowing the ground of our being is lost. Angst and fear mount.

Yet, as we learn to navigate within ourselves we become familiar with habitual emotional, thought and behavioural patterns we have run from for a lifetime. Eventually we get the knack of shifting these patterns. When they pop up and threaten to possess us yet again, we most-worthy navigators say, “Hey, I am lost again. Returning to God is the answer!” Then, we pray for help, be still, return to our breath, observe the old stories, and let go. Over and over.

Returning to God sounds simple… and it is. But it is not easy. However, returning to God time, and time again, is what our lifework is all about. As the great, thirteenth century, Sufi, poet Rumi wrote about God calling us home:

“Come, come again and still again,
even if thou hast broken thy truth a thousand times.”

We learn to have compassion for our frail humanness as we observe ourselves. Returning to God within can help us bear life’s burdens and, at times, shine a ray of light upon our suffering. Returning to God we grow our beings and our connection to our God.

“You may call God love; you may call God goodness; but the best name for God is Compassion.” Meister Eckhart, 14th century mystic and theologian

“The ultimate power of God, the universe and humanity is compassion.” Hildegard of Bingen, 12th century mystic, doctor, scientist, and abbess.

For more ideas on connecting with your God click on this link.