Growing Deeper in Love

 By Rev. Dr. Barbara Christina

I know that the Divine works daily in my life. As of now, it is windy, cold, and somewhat snowy outside. And these weather conditions, while not favorable to many, play a role to maintain life in Northern NH.

We need the snow for our wells, the wind dissolves what we do not have need of, and the cold makes me grateful for the warmth of my home. So every day, God says ‘hello’ via the weather. I am privileged to witness the small birds flying in my rhododendron, seeking shelter from the cold and wind. I believe they too are part of a divine matrix. There are also the tall evergreens offering protection to other animals and smaller trees and bushes. Thus while nature can be rough at times, there are protections offered to those in need.

I do my best to see and acknowledge the Divine in my fellow human beings. We all have so much to offer and many times, we are frustrated and angry at others and thus miss the opportunities to have a meaningful liaison with them. Is not Valentine's a day in which to let go of complaints and give love?

Thus while I am feeling stuck in due to the extreme cold, why complain? I ought to be using this time to read, to write, and to reach out to others who may not have family or friends nearby or even in their lives.

February is the month for valentines. Let us try to extend love to a person, animal, or something in nature; for it is in loving another that we grow deeper in our self-love. And without self-love, it becomes impossible to love others. We get stuck.

So let us buy a box of chocolates for ourselves. And when we share this delicious treat, we are extending love to others.

God is wrapped in the Divine and thus in my box of chocolates too. God is the Divine and any tool which leads us to Him/Her is an expression of Divinity. God is in all and thus when we extend ourselves to others we are bringing forth God. Now this is indeed gratefulness in action!