I don't have any great words to write tonight...I just want to share a few from a favorite author in a favorite book. Kudos to you if you can guess who and which book, or foreword to be exact, from where it comes.
...Rarely do we realize that we are in the midst of the extraordinary. Miracles occur all around us, signs from God show us the way, angels plead to be heard, but we pay little attention to them because we have been taught that we must follow certain formulas and rules if we want to find God. We do not recognize that God is wherever we allow Him/Her to enter. Traditional religious practices are important: they allow us to share with others the communal experience of adoration and prayer. But we must never forget that spiritual experience is above all a practical experience of love. And with love, there are no rules. Some may try to control their emotions and develop strategies for their behaviours; others may turn to reading books of advice from "experts" on relationships--but this is all folly. The heart decides and what it decides is all that really matters.
...The more we love, the closer we come to spiritual experience. Those who are truly enlightened, those whose souls are illuminated by love, have been able to overcome all of the inhibitions and preconceptions of their era. They have been able to sing, to laugh, and to pray out loud; they have danced and shared what Saint Paul called "the madness of saintliness". They have been joyful--because those who love conquer the world and have no fear of loss. True love is an act of total surrender.
Amazing words.
