I recently had a discussion with a friend about my upcoming move out of the Atlanta area. Until last Thursday I was moving to Richmond Virginia at the end of the month. On Thursday that changed when my fiancé got a promotion that includes a move to Detroit. Venus transit moves through my life in a totally unpredictable way! I did not have an opposition to Detroit, I just have no idea why I am really going to Detroit, other than following my heart. I do know my life is handled through Divine Grace, so I figured there was Grace in the move and I would discover it as I get further into this new phase of my life. But there is no path for me to follow, as there would have been in Richmond, as that area has been an extended part of my life for a while now.
Richmond I felt comfortable with, granted it was a change, but it felt like more of the same. It was still the south, I have clients and students in the area so I had convinced myself that it was simply a suburb of Atlanta, just 10 hours away (hey, we all do strange things to help ourselves through things like this!) Then Detroit became my new reality. Totally alien geographically, no roots in the area, but the bonus being really good blues clubs to be discovered. Ok, so I am reaching there, but I need something to look forward to besides brutal winters!
My friend told me a story about ancient Roman history. She said that Cesar would choose individuals to be trained as ambassadors and keep them in Rome and close to him ‘in training’, sometimes for years. Often longer than they felt they needed to be kept in Rome. They would be eager to travel and see the world, but Cesar in his great plan would make sure they were experts in every aspect of life in Rome. No area was left out from them, they had to go through the paces of all aspects of life and how Cesar wanted things done, even things that they did not personally relate to. In the process they were exposed to the Roman way of life from the smallest details to the highest social echelons. Their very presence, no matter where it was, represented Rome in its entirety. They were trusted and trained to be Cesar, so to speak. These individuals were mobile pieces of Rome, with the authority and knowledge of all that Rome was in Cesar’s day.
Then they were sent to the farthest reaches of the world. Places that may have never even heard of Rome. They were also sent to places that had heard of Rome but had no real idea what that meant or encompassed. Where the ambassador was, Cesar was. I suspect that some of those ambassadors faced real hardship in these new and foreign area’s, and at times asked themselves “What was I thinking!?!” Their job was to be in that area and live as they live in Rome. Their job was to hold solid as they intergraded Rome into the old way of life. As the natives were attracted to that way of life they were to be given the opportunity to become Romans. (Ok, so in some areas there may have been some violent coercion as well… but most of them were sent to accomplish this in a peaceful manner.)
I got exactly where my friend was going with her story. For the last few years I have been in intense Divine training, personally and professionally. This has not been through formal training, but through day-to-day experiences. It has been constant exercises in being flexible and staying out of judgment. At this point I am considering changing my name to Gumby! Oh yea, I have had to be flexible, or die physically, emotionally or spiritually. I have learned to stay out of judgment, which blocks the energy of Grace in my life. I have a knowing that all will be better than I could have imagined if I just let it BE. Hard earned wisdom, through Divine Light training. The things I have been living and incorporating into my being are serving me well in this time of unexpected life transition.
I realized I am, that we all are, Ambassadors of The Light. We are being taken out of our comfort zones into the far reaches of the world, to Be the Light. Not to preach the light, just to Be the Light in areas that may not have the Light as we know it. We are to be the Light in a spiritual way, instead of the traditional religious way. Of course that brought me a wisdom I did not previously have. It explained why so many spiritual people are being drawn, or left, in situations that are foreign to the individual’s current spiritual beliefs. They find themselves in situations such as work, family or social groups that feel dark or unenlightened. These are the times that we must hold solid in our core beliefs, not revert back to old behavior or beliefs that no longer serve us.
Let me make clear, I do not consider Detroit unenlightened. That is not what I am saying at all. But it is foreign to me and many tell me that even in Atlanta I am unusual in they way I apply my spiritual beliefs to my day-to-day life. Friends, clients and students often tell me how the simplicity and straightforward way I approach life and work differs greatly from the ‘us against them’ mentality that too often still prevails in the spiritual communities. My actions and beliefs in my personal life are the same as the ones in my professional life. My professional life includes corporate work, public speaking and one on one sessions with individuals. The Light does not change by situation nor do I.
How often do you find that those who ‘do not understand’ surround you? Is it possible that we are to live and express our training in the Light to brighten those areas? We have all been in intense Light training for the past five years. I call this time the accelerated Master’s program. How well we have incorporated these past five years will be revealed through the changes occurring in our lives.
We are beacons of Light, Ambassadors of Light, everywhere we are. We are full expressions of the Divine no matter the situation. We have been trusted and trained in the Light. We are prepared even if we do not feel like it. Actually, not feeling prepared can be a big signal that we have been diligent in our training. We want to understand and know more, to be better prepared. However, the life of the perpetual student is a safety zone that holds no real responsibility. When we find our life goes in directions that we had not expected, we should consider it a promotion. The boss knows we are ready, we just are being human… putting off exactly what we have been working and training for all our lives. The opportunity to Be the Light, especially when it is out of our ‘expected’ way. And like the Roman Ambassadors there may be times when we ask ourselves “What was I thinking!?!”, but we have signed up for the job and we have received the training. Now it is time to take this show on the road. It is time to Be the Light. Instead of ‘why’ perhaps we should be saying Thank You, because we would not be sent out to be Ambassadors of Light unless we were ready. Yea God! Go Team!

April 2004