(I have had this story in my possession for many years and do not know who the author is, but it is one of the most beautiful stories I have heard. Whoever you are, I give you credit here. Thank you for your words of wisdom – I now share them with all of you.)
“The Quilt Holes”
As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.
Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.
But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in everyday life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.
I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.
My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.
Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me and nodded for me to rise.
My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn’t had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.
And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.
I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.
An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.
Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, ‘Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles.
Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you.’
May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Our Creator to shine through!
God determines who walks into your life…it’s up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay and who you refuse to let go.
What lessons have the moments in your life taught you?
All of those painful moments – the ones that make you hold your breath when you think about them – are the exact moments you came here for. Those moments are happening for you so you can learn, grow, and have a chance to look at life in a different way. How else would you learn how to live other than by making mistakes then getting a chance to learn and do it all over again…a different way? The depth of your past dictates the height of your future. Just like a rubber ball, the harder and longer it falls, the higher it bounces back.
Affirm: I open myself to the unknown future in full trust and I release the past with gratitude for how it has blessed my path with joy, difficulty and knowledge.
~Doreen Virtue
Bring it on!
Chris
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Purchase your copy of, “Choosing the Life You Were Born to Live” by Christine Sopa published by Balboa Press.
Oh My!!!“As we must plant a seed before we reap a harvest, so we must believe before our prayers can be answered.” ~Ernest Holmes, “The Science of Mind“
Do you ever feel as if the line “Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY!” from the Wizard of Oz is your life this month? There are many things happening all around us; people who are acting out of sorts, places that just do not feel the same and situations that seem to no longer fit in our lives. This is all part of the process…the process of ascension. What is ascension? Ascension is simply the process of moving your soul, your inner self, to a new level of awareness. It is happening to all of us as we speak. 2012 is not about the end of the world; 2012 if about a new way – a new consciousness. One of which we work together, we honor ourselves and our brothers and sisters, one where there is no judgment, no deceit, no lies; one where we all finally realize the true meaning of unconditional love.
August finds us all facing many realities in our lives. With two full moons, the last one being tomorrow, August 31st, we are asked to look once and for all at our lives and “clean house.” Have you noticed the turmoil this month? Have you noticed the constant bombardment of chaos, drama and upset? Although you may perceive these things as “bad” because they do not feel so great, they are blessings for you. They are coming up to show you, as they have time and time again, what you need to balance, release and work on in your life. Are there people in your life that just cause constant drama, that do not make you feel your best? Are you in situations or a job that causes you undue stress? Are you tired of not having enough money and wonder why no matter what you do money slips through your fingers and you just never have enough?
As we move through these times, we need to remember two things to cope:
1. Your feelings are the physical manifestation of guidance – Your feelings are the language of the universe. You have them for a reason – and that reason is not to make you feel miserable. If you have been feeling down this month and ready to throw in the towel (trust me, I have been there all month as well!), try to look at what is happening from a different perspective. The situations that are causing you stress and bringing up these “not so good” feelings are there to show you what needs to change in your life. The feelings are the answers to your prayers. They are the things showing you what you need to do to change for the better. The challenge is having the courage to do what you already know needs to be done. Is it pulling away from certain people in your life? Is it ending a relationship? Is it changing jobs? Is it finally kicking an addictive habit? And my all time favorite; is it changing how you think about who you are so you can finally live into the Divinity which is your birthright?
Try unconditionally loving yourself for once-it’s not so easy. You are your worst critic. If you spoke to and treated your friends the way your treat yourself, how many friends would you have? That’s what I thought…
2. Know what you need to do to keep your center – Do you know what things you like to do that make you feel good? When you are stressed beyond belief, what are some things that relieve your stress (good, healthy things – wine does not count!)? We all need to know how to cope when things just don’t seem to be going our way. I spent 4 years on the Board of Education and one of the areas I saw in our youth and that I see in adults in my Coaching practice that is the cause of most illnesses is the lack of coping skills. How do you cope? Crawling in bed and throwing the covers over your head is not coping.
Honest moment – for the last two days I have been depressed beyond belief. My trip out east to visit my “old life” was disappointing to say the least. Nothing out east had really changed…but I have changed…for the better. Any endings bring sadness and when we allow sadness in for too long its best friend is usually fear. I had every fear in history come up for me the last two days; fear of not having enough money, fear of my future, fear of success, fear for my children who are both starting new chapters in their lives, fear of being alone for the rest of my life, fear of not making it to where I want to go in my business, fear of what others were thinking of me…blah, blah, blah. I had to re-group and cope. How did I do that? I pulled back, took a walk, listened to music, read passages in books that inspire me, re-read my bucket list and surrounded myself with friends who inspire me and lift me up and I shut everything else out. I took care of me. Did I snap out of it? For the most part…but remember that your life is about the journey, not the end point. We signed up for it all; sadness and joy because that is the beauty of being human.
Why not make your “Oh my” feel good for once! 😉
“This is a kind Universe and everyone and everything in it is working in your favor. There are no tests, blocks or obstacles in your way, except your own projections of fear into your future.” ~Doreen Virtue
I like my ruby red slippers! Click, click!
Chris
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Ch..Ch..Ch..Ch..Change??
The word will either send shivers down your spine or get your adrenaline rushing to the point you can’t sit still. Change. It is the only constant we have in life yet it sometimes gives us that feeling we get when we are sitting in the front seat of a roller coaster just before it is ready to take off.
For the first half of 2012 for many, many people, change has been an understatement. Lives are shifting and making room for new and wonderful things to enter that have to do with the path you are going to follow from here on out…but in order for that to happen, things have to change…the old has to be cleared out to make room for the new to enter. I know in my life in particular just in the last six months I have seen: a sudden, very painful break-up of a relationship, a dramatic shift in my business; a loss of 20 pounds (Thank God!); my youngest daughter graduating from high school; my oldest daughter announcing she is pregnant (yes, I will be a 42-year-old grandmother in January!) and countless synchronistic events that have helped me make the decision to move my entire life 3000 miles west to Scottsdale, Arizona (and that’s not even all of it!).
I have always been intrigued by the deeper meaning of things, especially numbers. I could not help but notice that in my new address in AZ there are five 5’s between my street address and my zip code! So, I looked up the meaning of 5, 55 and 555 (I would have gone further but the book only went to 1,000). Here is what I found:
5 = A significant change is occurring, always for the better. It is a good idea to call upon Heaven for help with life changes.
55 = This is a period of “out with the old, in with the new.” Welcome these changes, as they bring about new blessings.
555 = Huge changes are rumbling about your entire life! To keep these changes on the highest possible course, be sure to keep your thoughts positive, and stay centered in prayer and affirmations.
Releasing the old and getting ready for change, whether big or small can be scary. We are familiar with the old; we know how to navigate it; we know how it feels and we can predict it pretty clearly. New stuff? Not so much.
Dealing with change and “the new” takes courage, stamina, a positive frame of mind and trust. Yes, trust in the Divine but more importantly, trust in YOU! Trust is not easy. It is one of those things that we are asked to do and at first as we do it we feel as if we are walking in the dark with no light in sight. But when we can turn that trust inwards and learn to trust ourselves, it is amazing how it isn’t as scary. You see, when we put our trust in anything or anyone other than ourselves and the Divine, it WILL be scary. It is an unknown based on how someone else thinks, how they feel and the mode in which they operate. But trust in the Divine is simple…it consists solely of what I like to call “open heart living.” Trusting those inner nudges you feel inside, acting on them and having pure faith that the plan of the Divine is at work in your heart guiding you every step of the way. It is a team effort between you and God.
As you go about your day today, pay attention to those inner nudges you feel. They may come across as a random thought, a strong feeling to do or not to do something or it may even be a dream you had last night that you can’t seem to get out of your head. These are all ways the Divine speaks to you and helps guide you along your path. Trust what comes through and whether it makes logical sense or not (the most Divine guidance usually makes NO logical sense what so ever…how else would they keep you praying!) take some small action toward your guidance. Make a change in how you do one thing today! When I give keynotes on change, I have the audience take off a piece of jewelry they have on their finger or wrist and ask them to put it on the other hand just for the day. Weird sensation but it gives them the practice of living in the feeling of change.
Have fun with it, know you are safe and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You are surrounded by more help than you know. Just because you cannot physically see “them” does not mean they don’t exist. Trust me… 😉
Living in the Unknown,
Chris
For more information about Chris Sopa International, Inc. go to www.ChrisSopa.com.