DAILY PRAYER OF GRATITUDE

 BELOVED MOTHER/FATHER GOD,

AS I LOOK BACK OVER MY LIFE, I REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WITH ME, EVEN WHEN I WASN'T WITH MYSELF. AFTER EACH OF THOSE COUNTLESS TIMES  OF DESPAIR, SELF-DOUBT, ANGER AND FRUSTRATION, YOUR LIGHT NEVER FADED WITHIN ME. EVEN WHEN I WAS YOUNG, FULL OF FURY AND HATRED FOR YOU AT ALLOWING ALL MANNER OF  HORRIBLE THINGS TO HAPPEN IN THE WORLD, YOU DID NOT CONDEMN ME BUT SIMPLY LET THESE EMOTIONS RUN THEIR COURSE. (HOW MANY TIMES DID I CALL YOU, "THE EVIL ONE"? (A GREAT MANY TIMES!))

I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT A MAJOR PART OF MY PATH IN THIS LIFE WAS TO FIND YOU IN THE ORDINARY AND EVERYDAY. IF I FOUND YOU THERE, THEN I COULD FIND YOU ANYWHERE. AND FIND YOU, I HAVE: IN ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS WHO, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, HELPED ME TO SEE YOU. THEY SHOWED ME THROUGH THEIR SPIRITS, THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE) MY OWN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. THEY WERE A MIRROR FOR ME TO VIEW MYSELF.

MOST RECENTLY, I ASKED YOU FOR GREATER CLARITY ABOUT HOW TO BE OF SERVICE. THAT VERY DAY, YOU SHOWED ME, THROUGH FEELINGS AND A DREAM, JUST HOW TO DO THAT. YOU GAVE US ALL FREE WILL TO CHOOSE WHAT TO THINK, DO AND BELIEVE BECAUSE YOU KNEW OUR NATURE (UNCONDITIONAL LOVE) CAME FROM AND IS YOU. IT COULD BE SUBMERGED FOR AWHILE THROUGH OUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS, BUT NOT FOREVER. EVENTUALLY, WITH YOUR INFINITE LOVE AND COMPASSION,  WE WOULD ALL COME FULL CIRCLE AND CONSCIOUSLY FEEL YOUR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR EACH OF US. AND I KNOW THIS WILL HAPPEN, DROP BY DROP.

I REALIZE NOW THAT TO BE OF SERVICE TO THE WORLD, I MUST BE OF SERVICE TO MYSELF FIRST. THEN, AND ONLY THEN, CAN I EXPRESS MY TALENTS AND ABILITIES FOR THE HIGHEST GOOD OF ALL IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS. I, THEREFORE, OFFER TO YOU ALL MY DOUBTS, HATREDS, PET PEEVES, ADDICTIONS, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, ARROGANCE, PETTINESS, FEARS, ANGERS, PASTS AND "DESIRED" FUTURES.  I ASK THAT YOU TRANSMUTE THEM INTO YOUR UNCONDITIONALLY LOVING ENERGY SO THAT THEY MAY BE REDIRECTED TO ALL OF YOUR CREATIONS FOR THEIR BEST AND HIGHEST GOOD. I REALIZE I HAVE AN ONGOING RESPONSIBILITY TO FOSTER PEACEFUL AND LOVING THOUGHTS TO ALL, INCLUDING MYSELF. BY DOING THIS, I WILL BE DEPRIVING THE OTHER THOUGHTS OF LIFE-GIVING ATTENTION, WHEREUPON THEY WILL WITHER. BY BEING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT WITH YOU, I KNOW I CAN DO THIS.

I HAVE FELT THE OVERWHELMING GRATITUDE MY SOUL HAS (AND ALWAYS HAS HAD) FOR YOU. I HAD BEEN USING YOU AS A SCAPEGOAT AND SMOKE-SCREEN SO THAT I COULD JUSTIFY MY OWN RAGE AND ANGER, LITTLE REALIZING THAT THEY WEREN'T CAUSED BY OUTWARD EVENTS BUT FROM MY OWN INNER CONDITIONS. THE OUTER EVENTS HAD TRIGGERED A RECOGNITION OF A SIMILAR INNER CONDITION. YOU HAVE HELPED ME TO BEGIN REMOVING THE "BEAM" IN MY OWN EYE RATHER THAN CASTIGATING OTHERS FOR WHAT WAS IN THEIRS.

 AT LONG LAST, I CAN THINK AND DO WHAT I LOVE AND BELIEVE WHILE NOT REACTING TO WHAT OTHERS DO. AT VERY LONG LAST, I CAN LOVE ONE AND ALL (INCLUDING MYSELF) WILLINGLY AND JOYOUSLY, KNOWING THAT THIS IS TRULY BEING OF SERVICE AND SIMPLY BEING MY TRUE SELF. AND AT VERY, VERY LONG LAST, I HAVE FINALLY SEEN YOU IN ME.