5 Ways to Deepen your Relationship with God

As I child I experienced the presence of God every day in the large towering Eucalyptus trees, in the flowers, in the grass, in the eyes of Timmy, my dog, in the laugh of the kookaburras and the sweet song of the magpies. I witnessed this love in the kindness of my ballet teacher, the inspiration of the music, and in my joy to express it in my body in dance. I witnessed this abiding love in my friend Paula and in the quiet, hot stillness of a summer’s day in my neighborhood.

I experienced this loving kindness through my grandmother bringing me something to eat while I sat in front of the TV (this was a big thing for me). In my cousin Phil taking me out to visit friends in the car with his girlfriend, probably the last thing in the world he wanted to do, but he did it anyway and I was thrilled. And riding with my grandmother on the bus into Sydney and buying Rocky Road candy and getting to eat some on the way home (another rare treat). 

In the weekly Sunday evening TV show of Disneyland with the opening song, “When You Wish upon a Star", I  believed that there was a brighter possibility.  I was given undeniable hope to believe that love and acceptance heal. It seems simple but finding that love within myself was not so simple. Along my journey, I was gifted with hope, inspiration, dreams, and people of kindness for me to hang on to and learn from.

Stay Present

Everything we experience, every encounter, every challenge, every moment can bring us closer, if we allow it, to that realization that we are a part of God, a part of the grass and the trees and all of creation. We are the possibility of love in action, sacred at every moment. The more we love, the more we are asked to share that love to lift those who have forgotten that they too are a part of that love.

As we go through our day, stay present in the moment, slow down, breathe, and be aware of miracles that are going on at every moment. What are we rushing for? Where are we going?

God said, “I clothe the lilies of the field and look at how incredibly beautiful they are and wouldn’t I take even more care of you, who are my beloved children?”

Slow Down

Can you slow down and be present to the miracle of you? Grateful for the small (or the big) that is shared with you? Can you surrender your anxieties to the love waiting to be poured into you, for the love waiting to be revealed to you? Can you be open to receiving more of this abundant flow of love? Truth is, we can’t do it if we are rushing, rushing to get, to obtain, to achieve, to accomplish. Or on the other hand, running away from ourselves. It's all part and parcel of the same issue of not letting go and being present.

What if we could just “be” during at least some part of the day, experiencing that we are a part of something so big and miraculous, creative, kind, compassionate, and powerful that in the capacity to love, anything is possible?

Journaling

If you journal or are interested in starting, try going inside to listen to that small still voice inside. I think we have to slow down and let go of our agendas to be able to hear the voice of God, it is hard when we are not able to take time to check-in. You may want to:

Put some calming and/or inspiring meditation music on.

You could light a candle if you'd like.

Take your attention inside to the quiet, the stillness (for some this is hard but persevere, start small, and build slowly).

Share what's going on with you and you can ask questions too, such as:

• Dear God, what do you want to share with me? ( If you don't even want to speak to God then just go inside to that small still voice inside of you. Maybe you have a part within you that is hurting, confused, or angry. Give it a voice, listen to it with impartiality and no judgment. Allow it to have a voice. Journaling can be so healing and there are many ways of journaling. This is just the beginning...
• What do you like about me?
• Thank you for.....

Listening

Or just simply be still and practice listening. Then, if you hear, you can have a back-and-forth conversation, asking whatever questions you like. Don't judge anything and BTW, the words and inspiration from God are never derogatory. If they are then you know that is not from God. It's a skill that you get better at the more you do it. 

Heal

If you are struggling with any of the above

Do not despair. For some, it is sometimes really difficult to let go and to be still because they are anxious and have trapped fear, perhaps from some trauma. Or they have had negative experiences about God and it seems like an impossible task. It's all okay, it just means you would benefit from healing first. Try tapping on the anxiety daily too. There are ways to help you to let go and to get to the place I speak about above. If you get stuck and want help just reach out to me. I'm happy to help.

Love,