Recluse in the Sky

They say that God is everywhere

and yet we always think of him

as somewhat of a recluse.

Emily Dickenson

No longer do I think of God as a man like a great grandfather up in the sky nor do I think of God exclusively as a woman.   I do not feel the need to use only one particular word or to hold just one image for the description of the Divine for it is in all things. 

It matters not to me what term you use to hold God near and dear ... Allah, Yahweh, Great Spirit, Universe, etc...  Many years ago, I personally felt that the term God as well as the term christian had been mis-used and differing definitions had been applied.  So I tended to use the word Spirit which encompassed the Divine in all things.  I also described myself as spiritual as it did not feel quite as confining.  Religion felt like a noun, something secured in one place like a church; whereas Spirituality felt like a verb that could be moved in and out of a variety of situations.  I longed to be a verb, to be used by God/Spirit.

In my heart, I see Spirit in all things and all people and therefore try to respect everything and everyone.  I sense the presence of all that is holy when I am in the midst of nature feeling totally accepted and embraced.  I see the spark of Divine in each face presented before me.  I search to find the message that each person brings.  When people are gathered together, I truly listen to hear the lessons that are presented through the many dialogues.

If I find God or Spirit in all things, I must move through life a little more slowly and be much more careful while assessing people or situations.  By slowing my self down, it is easier to catch sight of Divine presence and to witness the magic in life. 

Life becomes more meaningful when Spirit is found to be in all things, taking on many forms, shapes, and identities.  God can be seen and or felt in an animal, a flower, a goddess, a painting or a book.  God can be all things, but for me Divine is a verb reverently working through all of us and all situations. 

We just need to be aware that God is not just some recluse sitting up in the sky!