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Debra Landwehr Engle "Everyday Miracles"

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Why This Is a Time to Trust Even More

Why This Is a Time to Trust Even More

Last updated on: February 25, 2017 at 10:48 am by Debra Landwehr Engle

Why This Is a Time to Trust Even More 2017-02-25T10:48:01-05:00 Debra Landwehr Engle

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A Course in Miracles says repeatedly that we are to listen to the Holy Spirit. In fact, it says, don’t make any decisions without His help, or the decisions will be wrong.

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In other words, without spiritual guidance, we’re likely to act from fear rather than love.

When you’re working with your guidance, though, it’s important not to confuse trust with expectations.

Sometimes I get caught in the ego trap of thinking that, if I’m trusting the Holy Spirit, I’ll live happily ever after.

I’ll never have a fight with my husband. Every relationship in my life will be harmonious. I’ll always have white teeth and a good hair day.

If I hold those expectations—and then I catch a cold or have a disagreement—what happens? I blame myself, I blame my spiritual guidance, and I lose trust.

My fear-based ego mind uses it as evidence to say, “See? You don’t have help from another realm. There’s no such thing.”

And that can be a crushing place to be. It’s like having your life support system turned off, as though you’ve been disconnected from the flow of wisdom and Divine love that constantly nourishes you.

That flow, in fact, can never BE cut off. But fear can make us forget that fact, leaving us to feel abandoned and alone.

I think this is part of what’s happening on a wide scale right now. So many people who are disillusioned by the political landscape are wondering not just how we got here, but whether we’ve been abandoned by Spirit.

Were we foolish to trust that things were getting better? Are the current conflicts and insults evidence that there isn’t any growth or healing going on? How do I continue to love people who hold beliefs that are so different from mine?

Whether or not these questions are conscious, the underlying feeling brings up an existential crisis. Is this all there is? Are we really alone after all?

The problem isn’t with the Holy Spirit or our spiritual guidance. Help is there for us just as it always has been. But our expectations get in the way.

When we’re attached to believing that the world should operate in a certain way or that people should share our beliefs, we’re missing the point of living from love.

That’s why we have an enormous opportunity to grow on a spiritual level right now. If we lay down our expectations and come to Spirit with empty arms, we can ask loving questions.

What do I need to know right now? How can our present situation be used for healing? What can I learn about the nature of love?

Following and trusting your spiritual guidance doesn’t mean your life will be challenge-free. It means that when challenges come along, you’ll have a built-in guidance system to help you navigate and make loving decisions.

Sit in silence, ask the Holy Spirit and your own personal guides what you need to learn or why things aren’t unfolding the way you expected, and then move forward, equipped with new understanding.

When you come to your guides wide open to receive their wisdom, you can learn big things about yourself and your purpose in this world.

So when you hit bumpy times, don’t abandon trust. These are the times to trust even more.

This is an excerpt from Debra Engle’s most recent podcast at sacredstoriesmedia.com. Debra is the author of The Only Little Prayer You Need and Let Your Spirit Guides Speak. You can find her on Facebook and at debraengle.com.

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