Read this to yourself, as if you were reading aloud a childs bedtime story, I think your inner child might appreciate it.
The Day Out - A Metaphor
All the little souls who had been chosen were gathering together in Heaven at the exit point. There was a good deal of excitement and laughter, everyone was looking forward to the trip. It was understood that not all the souls who wanted to go could be accomadated, and there was a sense of privilege and gratitude amongst those who had been selected from the thousands who had applied.
These were the souls who were going on a trip to what we call Earth. Most of the souls had been before, some of them many times. They thought of it more as a trip to the fair, a day out, with lots of exciting and interesting things to do, and lots of fun rides and games to play. For reasons that we dont fully understand, this kind of experience requires space and time, a material body; and we all know that its nessarsary to leave Heaven for a while to find these. So all the little souls were looking forward to the trip, and hoping for lots of new experiences, maybe even a little adventure while they were away.
Suddenly a ripple of excitement spread through the crowd. Some of the older, more experienced souls sensed that God was coming to give them a farewell talk, and to wish them a happy trip. A hush fell as God approached. She was displaying her female aspect today. As her kind eyes looked at each soul in turn, it felt itself absorbing love, offered as nourishment for the journey, and a sense of peace and contentment spread through the crowd.
God spoke. "My dear children, you are going on a short trip. For some of you, this will be the first time that you have been separated from me. Rest assured that you have been chosen with care, and we are confident that you are mature enough to get the most out of the trip. When you arrive at the place known as Earth (which some of you also call the fair), you will find it helpful if you remember what i am about to tell you.
"Earth has been designed as a place where you can experience all those sensations, emotions, and thoughts, that only a material body can experience. The main purpose is to have fun - but you know this. I can see how keen you are to get going.
"Do remember that all the rides are just different ways of experiencing yourselves. Some of them are designed to give you a good view of the surrounding countryside, some are designed to be thrilling, and some are designed to be scary. They are all perfectly safe, you cannot suffer any harm while you are there, although some of the rides are very realistic, and it may feel as though you are in danger. Some of the games are designed to be very puzzling and difficult to solve - remember that they are only games, and you can always play another one that you enjoy more.
"Some of the younger ones may feel a bit anxious about being separated from me. If they are on a scary ride at the time, they may even get so upset that they forget who they really are, and what they have come for. If any of you sees someone like that, you can help them to remember their true selves by sharing with them that part of you that is me, namely love. This always works in the end.
"When your trip is over, you can all come back and tell me all about it. I really look forward to hearing what you did.
"Are there any questions?"
There was a brief silence. Most of the souls had heard this talk before. Still, it was good to be reminded. Forgetting who you were on a scary ride could be briefly quite unpleasant. The best part was always coming back and telling God all about what had happened.
Then one of the little souls near the front asked curiously, "What if we dont do it right? What will happen?"
God looked kindly at it. "My child, there is no one right way to enjoy the fair. You can choose any of the games or rides you fancy. Just enjoy what you choose, and experience it to the full. There are no consequences here in Heaven, no grades or marks allocated, you cannot get it wrong. All that will happen if you dont enjoy it much is that you dont need to go again until you feel like it. All that will happen if you dont experience it to the full is that you will not have much to tell me when you get back. Thats all. Dont make heavy weather of a fun trip by worrying about 'getting it right'; just have fun".
And then it was time to go. God opened the gate to the staircase to Earth, and as each soul passed through She embraced it tenderly, and whispered, "Remember! Have Fun!!"
And then the souls were out of Heaven, and on their way to Earth. At first they went laughing and tumbling down the stairway, chattering and planning what they would do when they arrived. As they got further from Heaven and nearer to Earth, the earthly bodies that they had chosen for this trip began to materialize around them, and they began to get glimpses of their future homes and lives. Some of them started to find the going more difficult, and as they concentrated more and more on negotiating the staircase in their new bodies, the idea of Heaven began to fade.
"Now remember what God said", said one of the older souls, "this is just a day out. Remember to have fun!" And suddenly everyone felt better again for a while. But it can sometimes be difficult to remember Heaven whilst in a body, and as they moved deeper and deeper into the material world, some of the little souls found it harder and harder to remember their purpose. They were so busy putting one foot in front of the other, and sometimes it would seem very hard work. Besides, the further they went, the more they separated and spread out. Some of them were making straight for their chosen games or rides. but some of the older ones were kindly keeping an eye on the younger ones.
"Remember!" shouted one of the older ones to a group of little ones, "Remember what God said!"
But the little souls looked at each other in puzzlement. "Can you remember what God said?" asked one. "No, I cant", replied another. "What who said?" asked the littlest one of all.
By kind contribution from June Calvert of Penwith Counselling Centre in West Cornwall, UK.
Hope you enjoyed that all.
peace
celtic