Abundance

It occurs to me lately that “play” is something that I feel like I have lost touch with.  Wiktionary has eleven meanings for play, but the only one that fit what I want is quoted:  To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.   It surprised me that this was such a mild description.  In my mind, play was such an energetic, all encompassing, big concept that this caused me to revise my thinking about what play actually is.  

It takes me back in time to when I felt like I stopped playing which was around the time my husband needed more care several years ago.  I played a little during this time but it was with the thought in the back of my mind that I wondered if my husband was doing alright without me there.  It wasn’t the free, openhearted play that is an innate part of me.  Spirit was calling me to go to my inner world and find other parts of myself that were more important at that time.

After my husband died, no thought was given to play because I was grieving.  It has been four years since he left and this past weekend I started thinking about really playing.  With that thought came a stream of words and visions.  What does play feel like to me now?  I do not know.  Along with that, came the word joy and the vision of me laughing and laughing at my little dog Reggie’s antics in the house, garden and car as I play with or watch him.  Spirit was showing me where I was already playing with my little four-legged mate.

Next came a blank slate with nothing on it; just a pure white blank slate.  More words came of things I do occasionally like go to the movies, go out to lunch, take a drive, go to an event, and so forth.  These all make me feel happy, but they are not the spontaneous, free, openhearted play that I long for.  Then came the vision of me dancing every Friday evening.  When I dance, I am the dance floating across the floor, with the energy, vibration and frequency of the music infusing all aspects of my Beingness, and my feet lifting in joy with each step.  Spirit is reflecting to me the degrees of play that I already have in my life from quiet joy with family and friends to spontaneous, free, openhearted movement dancing.

It opened me up to knowing I want all the play I have now, and more.  More of that spontaneous, free, openhearted play that lifts me to another realm where I float free.  It feels good to identify what I want more of now.  Spirit will surprise me with what I want more of in ways that I do not anticipate or expect which will add to the joy of play.  So, I will enjoy the play I have now and stay open to gifts from Spirit and others for more play.

Spirit also gave me the words along with the vision that now play is different for me, just as spontaneous, free and openhearted with the energy, vibration, and frequency appropriate for this time in my life, my body, and my lifestyle.  Simultaneously, peace flowed into me as I felt Spirit’s truth.

Reggie plays every day as he chases squirrels, burrows through the bushes looking for wee ones, runs to the fence to greet the dogs on either side of his home, and brings his beloved stuffed lamb chop that Aunt Barbara gave him for me to play tug with.  He doesn’t have to think about being spontaneous, free, or openhearted; that is how he lives.  While he pulls and shakes his head trying to get it from me, he makes sounds like I do.  I rough house with him lifting his 16-pound little body up and down, saying to him:  You are such a rough little boy or you are just a little play baby, jumping up and down, playing with your Mommy.  He even plays when he is sleeping as his little legs move like he is running outside.  He makes me laugh which uplifts me to a high level of joy.  How blessed we are to have Spirit bringing us play at the right and perfect time in the right and perfect way.   Nancy and Reggie♥

As a child I asked for what I wanted from my parents and most of the time got what I wanted if they deemed it was good for me.  As I grew, I learned to ask God through prayers for bigger things, like the job I wanted, the relationship that was important, and how to get a new car or house.

 

I was always asking for something and everything that I have asked for over the years has been given to me.  It has not always been given to me at the time I asked, but at a time that was appropriate for me to receive.  The deeper asking and receiving led me on a path that was so much different from when I started asking.  Spirit was letting me know that I would be given material and non-material things so I would grow to become consciously aware of greater spiritual truths and gifts.

 

I shifted from asking to knowing that everything I genuinely need or want will come to me at the right time and in the right way.  It shifted from the intensity of wanting, then asking, and the expectancy of waiting to allowing.  Spirit was teaching me to let go of these things that served as energetic binders and blinders, and open to an easier way.  These energetic binders and blinders kept my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies in a state of tension.  Letting go opened the flow with ease throughout all of these bodies and they relaxed in a profound way.

 

Allowing what is mine to come to me without effort is embodied now.  For instance, I had the thought a while ago that I would like a more active social life.  I could have joined organizations, gone to social activities, or done any number of things to make a more active social life happen.

 

Instead, what I did is release the thought, allow what is the appropriate social life for me to unfold, and say thank you.  What happened about a week or so later is that a couple of people I know casually, with whom I had no previous social contact outside of dance or the neighborhood, asked to get together with me to get to know me better.  I said I would love to and so begins a more active social life.

 

It was effortless and a joy to experience unfold.  This is how it is with the majority of things in my life.  If I genuinely want something, someone, or some situation, I have the thought, let it go, say thank you, and go on about my daily life.  Spirit blesses me with more than I ask for in ways that are so heartwarming and simple.

That I allowed Spirit to lead me at each step of the journey, is the greatest gift I have given myself.  Grateful doesn’t convey the depth of gratitude I feel for a life so filled with grace and beauty.

 

Reggie learned right away to get what he wanted by asking, nudging my leg or hand, or repeatedly barking loudly.  Spirit helped him teach me so he doesn’t have to ask now as he is given whatever he needs and wants.  It is effortless for him now too and he is such a happy dog.  His joy gives me joy.  Blessings all around!  Nancy and Reggie♥

Today I went to the grocery store.  Every time I am in the store, I am in awe of all the abundance available.  That I live in a world, country, state, city, and community that overflows with foods of all kinds and varieties humbles me.  This is such a precious gift that I take for granted at times.  When I think about the vast majority of people in the world who do not live with this level of abundance, I give great, great thanks that I do.  Keeping myself aware with gratitude of all of the abundance I have is one of my goals.

 

Abundance comes in many forms, but having food to eat is of major importance.  I do not waste food.  If I have leftovers at a restaurant, I bring them home, including any bread, chips, or anything else that I know will be thrown away.  I eat it all, adding something to it or it to something, or heating bread with butter and chips with cheese under the broiler to freshen them up and make them tasty.

 

I say a prayer that the leftover food will be used in some way to benefit All That Is.

 

Reggie never leaves any food, or even the smell of food, as he licks his bowl or the plate clean.  He has the “waste not, want not” and gratitude down pat, as he wags his tail rapidly when he get any food.   Nancy and Reggie♥