Those of you who don't receive Daily Spiritual Seed or visit the home page might not know about the six-week study series on "Discerning God's Will" that begins today. You can find out more about it at http://shalomplace.org/discerning

For the next week or so, you can read/participate in the forum and read the first conference, but you'll have to register for the board, first. If you decide to continue, the cost is $25.

All FYI. This will probably be taking up more of my time in the weeks ahead, but I'll continue to check in here daily.

Discerning God's Will.

My elderly neighbor after a fall causing a broken hip had surgery resulting in complications with him entering the diying process.

I had seen him two weeks ago at his home for a visit. As we parted I kissed him on the forehead, stroked his head and hair and told him that I loved him. I was at peace. The next day he fell and broke his hip while under the care of his grandson.

Monday evening his daughter called to tell me of his declining state of his physical being. I told her that I had said my farewell already and would pray for him. In the morning God changed my mind and I went to visit my friend for the last time to read him the 23rd Psalm and to again comfort him with tender hands. My will obeyed the Will of God as I tuned into spirit's discernment with prayers and in knowing.

"O Death, where is your sting?
"O grave, where is your victory?.
(1 Corinthians 15:55).

Whatever gifts received by God's Holy Spirit must never ever be abused.

My elderly friend is in his final stages of dying. I still feel his hand gripping mine with a tremendous strength during my farewell visit with him last Tuesday. He was close to death two months ago when God allowed me to lay my hands on him as a healing practitioner, and he recovered enough to rebond with his daughter and grandson who had been estranged from him for many years.

As painful as my visit was seeing him in the illusion of deterioration and impending death with his pleading eyes upon me to again lay hands upon him, I knew that though my obedience to God I could not lay hands upon him again. This is never easy, but we must at all times say "Father thy Will be done, and not mine".

He was a wonderful friend and teacher to me and also a former yoga Master who was unable to do yoga for the last ten years of his life. He taught me that we are all multi-faceted human beings.

Like w.c. has mentioned in some of his posts in his work with the dying that there comes a time a yoga practitioner is unable to meditate and use the yoga training and experiences. The final last breath is between the dying and our Creator.

Bless Russell and may the light of love lead you back home.

Freebird, it sounds like this man has been an important relationship in your life. Sorry to hear of his diminishment.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "illusion of deterioration and impending death." It sounds like this is anything but an illusion for him, and that you also have a sense that he is dying. Deterioration and death are not illusions, imo. Maybe there's something I'm not understanding, here.

When you speak of "obedience to God" about not laying hands on him, are you meaning to say that this was an inner guidance of some kind? I don't understand why you could not at least pray for that he know God's closeness, or that he be open to accepting what is to come. That's not the same as asking for physical healing, but it can be very helpful, at times. Did you just have a sense that this wasn't appropriate?

I don't think it is a good idea to presume to know so much about the dying. They are involved in something none of us can relate to directly. Being real simple about that, and not trying to get them to orient to our needs, is really important. They can sense our agendas and this can confuse or perplex them. Best to be present and let them be seperate from us. Then they can make connections from their own pov, and let go without feeling we need something from them.

We're never as unselfish as we think we are. I can see this in myself in working with the dying. Regardless of how spiritually awake we think we are, there's always a tendency to use other people, however gently, for our own purposes, especially when what they present to us is something both mysterious and frightening. And if you don't think you're afraid of dying, then you're probably not even on the map.

Phil my obedience to God was only in not giving my dying friend a healer's practitioner treatment. I did exactly as you mention, pray and for his knowing the closeness of God and for his openess in knowing what was to come.

I already saw him in a spirit body and, therefore, the deterioration of his physical form was an illusion for me, although not for him. We parted with great love between us and I am continuing with my prayers for him.

Yes, w.c. we are all afraid of dying and we know nothing except by our faith as to what may happen to us.

Freebird:

Do you see what's coming through in your responses to Phil and I?

Phil's quote:

I don't understand why you could not at least pray for that he know God's closeness, or that he be open to accepting what is to come.
-----------------------

Because I did not speak of the above, does not mean that I did not do exactly that, and much much more. How do you know what went truly on during my visit and what lives in my heart and mind. Your opinion is an assumption and not truth. I gave a general description of parting and did not go into lengthy details of the whole visit.

Unless, you both are practicing healing practitioners yourselves, it would be hard to understand the obedience to God in doing this work. W.C,I strongly disagree with your generalization that we are not so unselfish when saying goodbye to someone we love.

Whichever way I come through and across in my responses to you both, is your own perceptions and not mine. I am totally at peace in my farewell to a friend.

I was just wondering what you were meaning, Freebird, as it seemed odd that you would speak of a dying man suffering from deterioration and the dying process as deluded about this. You also gave the impression that he wanted you to lay hands on him, but, in obedience to God, you were refusing him. That's pretty much all you said, so I didn't know that you had other prayer with him.

This thread was meant to announce an online course I'm teaching, but the experience you shared does raise some of the kinds of issues we're discussing there . . . e.g., "obedience to God" in a specific situation. Maybe healing practitioners do experience this differently than anyone else; I don't know. That would be interesting to explore, if you're willing. Or, we can close the thread, as my announcement has been made and the course has begun (3-day free pass is still available, and we've had some great sharing). We're doing a six-week study on this, so that would be the ideal place to explore the topic in-depth if anyone is interested.

Phil, it must be me, since there appears to be no rational conveyance in what I was saying since it is so misunderstood.

My mention of the illusion within the deterioration was meant the declining faculties of my friend within the dying process. I never mentioned delusion, but illusion.

Also with great love I already pictured him in his spirit body separating from the physical body, and seeing him as such.

That's enough for my contribution in having to clarify myself, and I do apologize that it is so misunderstood by Phil and w.c.

Good luck with the on line course.

Thanks, Freebird. The course is going well, with 45 participants and some excellent sharing. Some of you (ahem -- looks around the forum) ought to consider joining in on one of these focused studies at some time. If finances are the problem, let me know and we can work something out.

Also with great love I already pictured him in his spirit body separating from the physical body, and seeing him as such.

I understand what you mean, and that surely is a meaningful visualization you had. But, to my understanding, death is nonetheless very real, not at all an illusion. The separation of soul and body is a more drastic change than even birth; we just cannot fathom what comes next, as we really don't know squat about how life goes without a body. We do believe that we continue to live on in some manner, but how that goes, we do not really know. NDEs and the like notwithstanding, we have basically nothing to go on except the resurrection of Christ, which somehow re-unites body and soul.

Maybe we understand where each other was coming from a little better. Thanks for hanging in there with the exchange.