HOPE is a doorway to the miraculous. HOPE is our ability to expect a positive outcome when there seems to be little evidence of it. HOPE is the first glimmer of Faith that causes us to take action. The woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment HOPED that she would be healed. After 12 years of hemorrhaging, she saw a glimmer of HOPE in Him and His growing reputation as a miraculous healer. Jesus told her that her Faith had made her well. Faith is HOPE in action. It is HOPE that causes the quickening of Faith, Strength and Will. When we look out into the world and wonder how we can stop the hemorrhaging, it is this miraculous ability to have HOPE that stirs the greater power of the Christ in us to take positive action in order to manifest the peace, harmony and wholeness we wish to see and experience. Through HOPE we know that our prayer intentions are more than just a plea to a chaotic universe. Through HOPE we establish ourselves in the power and presence of the invisible Source of all peace and harmony. We align our minds and hearts with the All-ness of God and our Faith returns us to the wholeness from which we come. Today is the day to have HOPE and move in the direction of this miraculous stimulus for healing.
© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra
Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.
SHOULDERS are a fascinating miracle of the human structure. An intricate assemblage of bone, joint, tissue, muscle and tendon, SHOULDERS provide a variety of useful functions. They allow us to reach objects high above our heads. SHOULDERS assist in the pushing and pulling of heavy objects. SHOULDERS provide a great place for the neck and head to rest. And the SHOULDER can be a place where we allow a friend or loved one to rest their head in times of stress or grief. More, SHOULDERS are symbolic of strength and stature. They are a platform for another to stand upon. When I was a child I played with these magnetic plastic people. The object was to see how many could stand upon each other’s shoulders. They fascinated me. I found I could build a sturdier structure by placing them in a pyramid form; more on the bottom than on the top, each one holding only a portion of the weight of the next. This seemed to be the best solution for creating the highest formation. We are continuously standing on the SHOULDERS of those who have preceded us; in our lives, in our work, in our families and in our world. And we in turn will provide the SHOULDERS for those who come after us. It is an outworking of Divine proportions. Working together, supporting just a portion of one another we create something much higher than ourselves. SHOULDERS are a miraculous manifestation of strength and stature and we can join together to build something quite high, stable and ultimately miraculous.
STRENGTH is a miraculous faculty continually evolving and emerging through our life experiences. STRENGTH appears in a variety of forms such as physical STRENGTH, spiritual STRENGTH, moral STRENGTH and STRENGTH of character. Each provide the ability to overcome something of substantial size or weight. Each are cultivated through the choice to exercise them. But Spiritual STRENGTH differs in that the soul draws to itself experiences that command its development. Every day, in every way, you are by nature, growing in spiritual STRENGTH and stature. What seems substantial in size and weight today is the catalyst for the spiritual STRENGTH that supports you in your next adventure.
COURAGE is the miracle of a heart that is strong in Spirit. The word courage comes from the Latin word “cor” which means heart. COURAGE is the ability to say or do or stand for something in spite of any fear that may present itself. Usually associated with acts of physical bravery, the COURAGE to speak one’s mind, to stand in one’s Truth, to live the Truth in a world that contradicts Truth is an even greater expression of this very spiritual attribute of humankind. COURAGE draws together the powers of Love and Strength and expresses them as a steadfast Faith in wholeness that lies beneath appearances. Fear is ultimately a result of a belief in separation from one’s Source. COURAGE denies the validity of that fear and rests in the wholeness and oneness of Spirit.
Eileen Patra 