Be the spark…

The other day, a song I used to sing as a child at our church’s “Band Mass” popped into my head. Raised Catholic, my parents often took us to the upbeat service where a local group of spiritual “hippies” played the popular worship songs of the day. One in particular has stayed etched in my heart:

*It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s Love.
Once you’ve experienced it
You spread the love to everyone
You want to pass it on.”

I searched for the artist and title and learned that “Pass It On” by Kurt Kaiser was written one Sunday night as he contemplated the fire in his fireplace and how it only took a spark to get that fire going. The song itself took off like wildfire, becoming wildly popular in the Christian youth movement of the late sixties and early seventies. It sparked hearts by the thousands. A few minutes of authentic love on the part of the artist fanned the flames of so many souls for decades. The song became what it was about.

The song is Divine truth. Once you’ve experienced love, you do want to pass it on. And that love is available to us 24/7, all day, every day, without fail. We only need to do as the angels often advise: sit, breathe, and receive. The Divine does not withhold love and dole it out as we earn worthiness. The Divine shines like a radiant sun, emitting love at all times to all of creation.

We’re the ones who decide whether we let this Love in or not. Something as simple as breathing, doing the thing we love, or taking time to sit and watch the clouds—anything that allows us to let go of the negative cares, concerns, and stresses for a minute—will let it in. A simple act of kindness on our part, or a kind word, will let it in and allow it to flow through us. In a moment, we can turn a crazy day around by reconnecting to love. And once we feel it, we do want to share.

When we are disconnected from an experience of this love, we have a much harder time feeling compassionate, forgiving, or praying for the good of all. When we are plugged in, we are that spark that gets the fire going.

In today’s wild energetic climate, remaining in connection with Divine Love—no matter how you do it—is more important than ever. In that love, we feel centered and peaceful in a wild world. In that love, we have energy flowing from the Source. In this connection, we remain human and stop outsourcing our happiness to others.

Without it, we wait for the world to change.

In connection, we become the change.

It doesn’t matter if you find the Divine in a church service, a walk in nature, or a quiet moment of appreciation. You can find it as you sit, breathe, and receive. You can find it in meditation, walking the dog, or planting a garden. You might find it curled up under a blanket, reading a good book. Wherever you find and feel love, do it more often. The world needs you to be in love right now. The world needs your self-acceptance, your kindness, and your joy.

It isn’t so easy these days for us sensitive souls. Maintaining a feeling of love in a kind reality is easy. Finding it when violence and anger are paraded in front of us takes a lot more energy. A dear friend witnessed an inflammatory altercation at Costco today as two strangers argued over someone being rude in the parking lot. It was ridiculous, and I’m sure both are better than their behavior in that moment, but people are on edge and don’t even know why.

In our disconnection, we blame others.

In our connection, we know our inner power.

So while the world feels like a tea kettle approaching boiling point, and it is a challenge at times to find our footing in love, the principles remain the same.

Here are a few tried-and-true ways to navigate this energy and feel the love that is ever-present so you can remain above the chaos:

1.  Root your actions in love.

Do more of what you love and less of what you don’t. And if you can’t do what you love right now, bring some love to what you are doing.

For example, it is time for me to start gathering information for my taxes—a task I really don’t look forward to. Yet this year, I’m bringing love into it by playing inspiring talks as I gather receipts, looking forward to creating more products for my online shop when I finish, and giving thanks that I have had the privilege of doing something I enjoy for so many years.

If we add love to our daily activities, we remain centered in the Divine. All love comes from one Source.

2. Feed your spirit by tending to your tuner.

There is so much that vies for our attention these days—social media, television, and office gossip. It seems like everything is saying, “Look at me! Look at me! Buy me. Watch me. Get upset with me.” But we still get to choose what we focus on, and that is empowering.

Seek out the good news. Look for the stories that lift your soul, and listen to the music that makes your heart soar, or your body want to move.

Feed your spirit nourishment, not junk food.

3. Be an emissary of loving kindness.

Make it a practice, when you are around others, to be an emissary of loving kindness. Lift people with your words. Speak of the good. Help people as you feel inspired to do so. Trust that if you feel like speaking to someone, there’s a beautiful reason.

So many times I’ve felt inspired to speak up when it feels awkward. At Costco the other day, I simply commented to a young woman working there, “You’re a light!”

“It’s my birthday!” she told me.

“I don’t have a gift, but I’ll pray for anything you want,” I replied. “Just tell me what you want me to pray for.”

She got teary-eyed. “Pray for my parents. I love them so much, and I worry about them aging.”

We talked. I was able to share some useful resources with her, reassure her that the conditions she feared could be prevented, and agree to pray. We both felt so blessed by the connection.

There are times when you feel inspired to do or say a kind thing. Do it. You never know how it will spiral outward.

4. Pray for all.

When you pray, pray for the light of God’s love to rise up in all human hearts—not just the people you like and agree with. We are all cells in the body of the Divine, and we serve ourselves by wishing true good, real awareness, and higher consciousness for all.

In our inclusive prayers, we are the cell praying for the good of the body—and that is ultimately the healthiest thing for us all.

Divine love is not always a warm feeling. It is a willingness to see all as part of the whole and to realize that the spark that lights the love in your life is the very spark that either lights up another or is dimmed in those lost in darkness.

We can be the spark that gets that fire of love going. We can be the kindness that spreads. We can be the ones who, through our prayers and good wishes, elevate the vibration of humanity enough to help mitigate the messes, calm the tensions, and ultimately raise humanity into a greater awareness—that in serving our true loving self, we serve the whole, and in praying for the whole, we allow ourselves greater good.