Life In Many Forms

TUES., OCT. 12, 1982, 1:45 PM
S.I.U. CAMPUS, BY THE LAKE

As you sit here by the lake you hear and see life in a number of forms, and you know, o son, that this represents only a bit of what I have created on and about this earth. The squirrel is a simple creature compared to you humans, and his basic life work is the simple one of gathering food for the times when it is scarce or hard to find. You characterize this small creature as a lower form of life, and it is, when you feel the necessity for clarifying and ranking. Yet how would this little one compare with a human whose actions harms and distorts the lives of others? With one who would provoke a war for essentially selfish and egoistic reasons in which there was much suffering and loss of life?

Humans have the potential for being the highest form of tangible, measurable life, but that very potential means they also can be among the lowest. The little squirrel has relatively few important choices to make that shall affect others. Humans have many, and the ways in which these are made put one in a higher or lower realm. Squirrels have a rather definite place in the hierarchy of life. Humans can rise and fall.

A bit ago you had a counseling opportunity. You know that such life opportunities are important, and you appreciate the abilities and motivations that some people have in doing this well. You feel that you do not do this well, and most of the time this is an accurate evaluation. I have told you that this should not be your major focus in life… that you have other strengths that should be developed and utilized.

Still, you realized that this was yours to deal with this afternoon… yours and yours alone. It is a challenge to accomplish some task almost with spirit alone. You are not skilled in knowing what to say when emotional upset is evident. You just must fall back onto spirit, for spirit, at least, steers you away from doing obvious wrong and causing hurt in the other.

Even human life takes many forms, and one of the ranges is that of self-esteem and ego strength. Some “forms” of the human creature have much self-assurance, and no matter what their intelligence or other ability levels they enjoy and profit from life. To them who have, more is given… or simply derived from the circumstances of life.

Others have confidence and strength in some situations and not in others. Though you would like to be one of the former, a more accurate assessment puts you among these. You would like to be better than you are, and that is commendable, but it is more important to acknowledge who and what you are, work from your strengths and apologize for and smile at your inadequacies. Wouldn’t the Holy Spirit select, for this kind of educational task, one who is more outstanding? If you think this question then it could nudge you to feel that, if this is so, then you must be more outstanding than you think. Not so. The other answer is the one. I selected you, as one not outstanding in all areas, one with limitations as well as strengths. Why? Well, why not? You can do the job I want done.