Life As Spiritual Story

MON., AUG. 19, 1985, 11:18 AM
S.I.U. CAMPUS, LAKESIDE

The years of your life have been considerable, now that you are in your sixtieth. Each life is a spiritual story in itself, and also part of a longer spiritual story. It is good to review such stories from time to time. This Fall you shall have some times of driving that shall be useful for such retelling of the story. Let Me spend this time with you this morning, o son, in reflecting on parts of this spiritual story.

We need not be chronological. Rather we’ll focus on happenings and see where each leads. Let’s begin with experiences in teaching adult classes in church school. The first memorable one was the class on the Letter to the Romans, in Palo Alto. Through that experience, abetted by others in which you had been a learner, you concluded that it was difficult to get adults, even committed Christians and church people, to study for a lesson. Those lesson sheets you developed were good, and you may get to use them again sometime. Writing is a part of the learning process. You know this as a professional educator. Yet you only did that once. Is it time to use that process again?

You now have had several years’ experience with this class based on My Teachings to you. I do agree that this should continue this year… even though it also would have been good for you to teach in some other class. Turn your attention to the continuation of this story. You have had relative success, but you should vary your techniques a bit. Having them underline and then passing the papers so that each sees what others thought important is a nice variation. Then some actual writing could be called for now and again. Your spiritual story includes teaching this class. Your professional story is one of varied teaching techniques. It is time for these stories to influence each other.

With this summer workshop now past you now know, from actual experience, that the spiritual dimension to health, through this concept of human/spiritual interaction, can… and should… be a part of all of your future teaching. The breakthrough has been made. You shall not go back, but shall increase your skill in having this as an integral part of all your teaching.

Writing is another important part of your spiritual story. No day should go by without some form of writing. Even as you have many on-going responsibilities still take sudden, unexpected, or unlikely opportunities. You do pretty well with what you hear from Me. As you have heard, that is becoming known, and it is an increasing part of your influence in your field. This is part of your spiritual story… and shall continue.

The family you are in is an important portion of your spiritual story. Your parents have been good, but non-sensational, influences on your spiritual development. As I have told you, Mabel is a special influence, intentionally complicated with the fact that your spiritual stories seem different. I have allowed a withdrawal for you to gain spiritual strength, but it is about time for you to be in touch with one another again. It still shall not be totally pleasant, but it shall be good for both of you.

You also know that Joyce is in your spiritual story, and she, too, has been neglected. She continues to grow spiritually, and you should know how this growth is proceeding. Be sure that you write to her before her Fall visit so that there is a basis for some good face-to-face interaction. You must not dominate, but must seek to learn from her.