by Anita Neilson
“For like the olive
I cannot be without
The sturdy tree;
And like the nectar
I cannot flow without
The blossom at its Source.”– Anita Neilson
Surrender:
The above quote is taken from my poem In the Garden which I wrote last year at Easter time. It got me thinking of the issue of surrender. The more I read and talk about spiritual matters, the more the word surrender raises its head. And I’ve finally understood it! Just as in the poem, an olive cannot exist without the sturdy tree which gives it life; and nectar cannot flow if there is no blossom from which it may flow. So, neither can we exist without that which gives us life – the Creator / God / Brahman / Source. I’ve also realized that the more I/we fight this higher power and try to do things our way, even when it feels wrong, the more we become immersed in “I”, the ego.
The ego is the part of us that is entrenched in the duality of the material world. It believes in all the dramas playing out before its eyes. It has desires, needs and wants. It believes that these will bring it the happiness it seeks. But, deep down, we know, don’t we, that the soul has always had the right idea all along – we just didn’t want to listen! For the soul is linked with wisdom – Divine wisdom – and it directs us towards courses of action which will be for our highest good. Always. We just need to surrender to it and have faith that everything will be as it should be, for our greater good.
Surrendering doesn’t mean giving in and doing nothing. It means listening to our inner wisdom and choosing a course of action in line with it, one that will be for our good and the good of others. It means doing the right thing just because it’s the right thing to do and not wanting or expecting something in return (praise, reward etc.). This is non-attachment to the outcome of our actions, which is a highly desirable spiritual quality we should all endeavour to attain.
This Easter time, whatever your religion or belief system, why not take a moment to think about the avatar, Jesus Christ, who came to earth over 2,000 years ago as an embodiment of Divine Forgiveness. Think of his teachings and the example of his life of renunciation and selfless service. He was and remains an inspiration to many, and yet he was condemned by his people. Think also on the following keywords and how you might embed them into your daily life.
Surrender – Faith – Non-attachment – Forgiveness
For my part, I surrender to an acceptance that I cannot control everything; that I cannot change things which are out with my control. With this sense of surrender comes trust, a growing faith in something greater that controls all, and all for our highest good. I trust that the Universe is working for me and have faith that only God knows (and needs to know) the full picture.
Neither does it make any sense to me now to be attached to people, things, events and emotions as I once was. For with knowledge comes the spiritual wisdom that these are all fleeting in essence. People come and go in our lives, some are here to stay for the long run, others pop in to teach us something about ourselves and are gone just as quickly as they came. We also know that we can’t take possessions with us when we leave this earthly body, for we have no need of them in the astral world where we can produce possessions with the power of our thoughts! So presently I am trying to simplify my life of worldly possessions because I know it is the right thing for me to do to progress on my spiritual path.
As for forgiveness, I forgive myself first and foremost for all the years of blocking out my faith in the Creator; I forgive myself for all the hurtful words which flew from my mouth like venomous daggers and for all the hurtful deeds I committed in ignorance. I did all these things in the deluded belief that this way of living would bring me happiness! I hurt others to make myself feel better; I was constantly in competition with others instead of trying to forge friendships. But I forgive myself. If Christ could forgive those who condemned him to suffer death by crucifixion, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), we can find forgiveness for ourselves and others, can we not! Many Easter Blessings. Anita Neilson. □
About the Author:
Anita Neilson is an author, spiritual poet and blogger. She writes for many mind body spirit and chronic illness publications. Her book Acts of Kindness from your Armchair (Ayni Books 2017) is available from your preferred online retailer.
Connect with Anita:
Healing Words blog http://anitaneilson.com
http://www.facebook.com/AnitaNeilsonAuthor
http://www.instagram.com/soulmurmurs
