I read a story of a young soldier who got separated from his unit while they retreated. He ran as fast as he could with the enemy never far behind. If they caught him, they would kill him. He found a barn and ran inside, hiding in one of the stalls.
As he listened for the enemy that searched for him, he prayed that his God would save him from them. After he finished his prayer, he looked up and saw a spider spinner her web.
In disbelief, he railed, “I ask for you to send me someone to save me, and all I get is a tiny spider?” He hunkered down and hoped the enemy would pass the barn by.
As luck would have it, they found the barn and began searching. Footsteps approached, and he heard one of the soldiers say, “Can’t be anyone back here. They would have broken that spider’s web.”
They left, and the soldier was safe. One tiny, insignificant spider had saved the man’s life from a squad of enemies.
Just like that soldier, we can sometime miss the signs God, the Universe, or our spiritual guardians will send us. We get caught up looking for the spectacular miracle and miss the small everyday ones that help us more than we can know. Just like the Grand Canyon was worn into the face of the Earth by a small stream of water, so our lives can be enriched to the fullest by the lessons we can learn from the most subtle of signs.
As we start this New Year, most of us will try going full speed with resolutions, creating good habits, etc. in an effort to literally change our lives. But, in the chaos and noise of change, do we miss the quiet signs sent to help us?
My business partner and I often consult a book titled “Angel Numbers,” by Doreen Virtue. Whenever numbers crop up repeatedly in our lives or some number unexpectedly shows up, we will read the interpretations that she assigned to that number. Often, and surprisingly for me, the number will have a profound meaning related to whatever situation I’m in at the moment.
For example, when we met to discuss the paths we wanted to take with the blog, the business, and how we most wanted to help others, we still questioned whether we were doing the right things in the right way to help us achieve our goals. We finally concluded by setting our next meeting for January 1 at 1:00 pm or 111. We both looked up at the same time and said, “Look at the Angel Numbers!”
Sure enough, the reading for that number spoke to what we were doing. It spoke of a gateway being opened for us, rapidly manifesting our reality from our thoughts (Virtue & Brown, 2005, p. 36) .
Likewise, objects can have meaning for us and not others. For me, I always associate feathers with Spirit. I am always surprised by how often, in my deepest moments of doubt or grief, a feather finds its way to me. Whether on the ground on one of my walks or suddenly just stuck in a raindrop on my windshield, these small signs always give me comfort and the courage to continue on my path.
Animals, likewise, will bring subtle encouragement and support to us even if we don't ask. When I had broken my ankle and was stuck in the house, my dog stayed by my side. Every now and then, he would touch my ankle with his nose and look at me with his deep brown eyes full of compassion and love. This dog would worry me to death any other time to go for walks, bringing me his leash and dropping it at my feet or whuffing at me to get my attention.
But not while I had a broken ankle.
For me, this was a sign that our interconnectedness was working to help heal my spirit as much as my physical body. A gentle touch and a soft sigh from my very hyper dog, told me he was watching over me and waiting until I was ready. That patience taught me about being patient with others and myself.
Everything in its own time.
So think about taking a few moments every day to listen to the quiet voice that binds us all. Listen to how you are feeling about certain situations in your life or about how you'll make changes to live authentically. You'll find that those quiet insights, those feathers, the animals, even a spider's web can bring profound insights and change to your soul and give you the life you feel called to live.
And looking back, that spectacular miracle happened...in the story of your life.
Resource:
Virtue, D. and Brown, L. (2005) Angel Numbers. Hay House Publishing, Canada
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