Laying the Foundation
The mystical way of life is the most practical approach to living there is. For many people, this is an absurd statement. They view a life of prayer and stillness as unrelated to the human experience. They say, "Don’t just sit there, do something." Even though many of their actions seem to bear little fruit, they persist in trying to "make it happen." They fail to heed the mystic’s call, "Don’t just do something, sit there." They cannot grasp that inner reflection, focused waiting, and letting result in contact with spiritual forces which manifest themselves in powerful and practical ways.

Because of the daily commitment to stillness and therefore seeming inactivity, it appears that this way of life is devoid of action. This is not true. The mystical life is a life of deferred action. The fact is many of the mystics led lives of incredible productivity, a productivity that would be impossible without tapping a well-spring of spiritual resources.

Deferred action means we "move our feet," but not until we are guided to do so; however, when we move into action, we step forward with courage and boldness. How could it be otherwise, for we are in partnership with the Presence? Our mission and work is not limited to ourselves. We are instruments of the one Presence and one Power. This is more than practicality; it makes us part of the divine plan.

This is one of the things that makes the mystical life so potent. It is not solely we who act; God is at work. One of the most powerful ideals of the life of stillness and prayer is that a consciousness of Spirit is the doorway to the kingdom of God. You see, the Presence is always with us, closer than hands and feet and breathing, but this truth does not assure us peace, prosperity, and love. It simply means that peace, prosperity, and love are possible for us and for the world.

In order to experience them, a doorway must form so the Creator can express Itself in, through, and as us. Most people would like to find the gateway to the kingdom, so they could enter. therein. This is understandable, but the reality is that the doorway forms so an "imprisoned splendor" can escape from within us. It is so God can move from being a possibility to a living reality.

This doorway is a consciousness of the Presence. This is why Jesus said He was the door—He was aware of His Father, the Presence, and where He walked, godly steps fell upon the earth. This is why one of the foundation principles of Inner Journey is the answer is always a consciousness of God. We have gone so far as to add that Life is a consciousness of God, because we are not fully alive until we experience the Presence and thus come to know ourselves as we truly are.

Can you see the genius of the divine mind? It has devised a universe in which the fullness of life and our happiness depend upon us becoming aware of our Creator. Then, not only do we experience joy and are able to live triumphant lives, we become an avenue through which God does Its sacred work.

What Is A Problem?

This brings us to the practicality of the mystical life, the merger of stillness and the challenges of daily living. Admittedly, we have problems. There are occurrences and circumstances that cause us concern. The mystical life does not ask us to ignore them. It asks us to see them in a new way and to assign them their proper place in our lives. The metaphysical community calls a problem a challenge, a project, or an opportunity. This is certainly true, but let us realize that a problem is essentially a call to return to God. A problem asks us to remember that a consciousness of God is the answer. A problem is an opportunity, not only for us to grow, but potentially for a doorway to form and for the Creator to do Its sacred work.

When this occurs, extraordinary things happen. The results seem beyond us and they are, for they are the outworking of spiritual consciousness instead of human consciousness and effort. The good news is that we are made so spiritual forces can move from within us into the world.

An Example
Let us assume we have a healing problem. Our new viewpoint asks us to "hear" its call to return to God. It is an opportunity to awaken to the presence of God that not only indwells us, but which we are. A healing, a realization of our innate wholeness, occurs when we give our attention to Spirit. We wait in the Silence receptive and willing to experience the truth of being. Our quest is not simply to be healed, but to be a doorway through which Spirit can be a blessing not only to us, but to the human family..

Is this a practical way of life? Yes! Not only is it practical, it is attuned to the divine plan that first asks us to know God and awaken to the Presence in which we live and move and have our being.

In Love We Journey With You,

Jim and Nancy