A Dose Of God 27 - Cannot Be Zero Just Look

This episode is about being present in a way that allows me to notice God’s eternal existence. It is informed by verse "Z" of the "ABCs of a Dose of God" poem, "The available dose cannot be Zero just look around and you will see." There is a brief description of the verse, a personal reflection demonstrating how the verse has facilitated my own resonance with Doses of God in my life, a statement of gratitude, and a few guiding questions that may be considered for your own reflection.

Transcript

Welcome to A Dose of God,

A short-form,

Self-reflective podcast series based on the book,

A Good Dose of God,

Everybody's Best Friend.

The purpose of this series is two-fold.

First,

To enhance and sustain my own resonance with the eternal divine presence in my life.

And second,

To demonstrate how the book's poem,

The ABCs of A Dose of God,

May serve as a framework for others to regularly identify,

Connect with,

And express gratitude for what's good among common occurrences in their lives.

This episode is informed by the verse of the poem representing the letter Z.

The available dose cannot be zero.

Just look around and you will see.

It includes a brief description of the verse,

A personal reflection demonstrating how the verse has facilitated my own resonance with doses of God in my life,

A statement of gratitude,

And a few guiding questions that may be considered for your own reflection.

Here's a description of the verse.

The available dose cannot be zero.

Just look around and you will see.

A dose of God is always available.

Not a moment exists that one is not offered.

Be completely aware and you will realize his presence.

He can reach your soul through any of your senses.

Open your eyes and you will see him.

Open your ears and you will hear him.

Open your mouth and you will taste him.

He is in all things,

Everywhere,

All the time.

Breathe in and you will smell him.

Expose your skin and you will feel him.

He is in the places you go,

The people you meet,

The books you read,

The food you eat,

And everything else within and beyond that which your mind can imagine.

When you know in your soul that you are with him,

You are at peace,

For you are in the gentle comfort of his grace.

You experience pure contentment,

Which exists in the realization that you are already there.

You do not need to be anywhere else at that moment.

Here is my personal reflection on the verse.

To me,

This verse is about being present in a way that allows me to notice God's eternal existence.

It's about connecting with his essence in all things and experiences so that I may live in a way that is right for my life by being receptive and responsive to his will.

It's about being able to see meaning at any given moment,

Even if it seems insignificant on the surface.

I believe that I am always connected to God,

Even at times when I do not accept or feel the connection.

When I am not resonating with the connection,

My life is more likely to seem imbalanced or misaligned as a consequence of focusing my attention toward the wrong things or behaving in improper ways.

However,

In the moments when I do accept and feel the connection,

I feel so right,

As if my life is in alignment,

And I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing at the moment that I'm doing it.

During such times,

I feel like I am willingly accepting his presence and the divine will for my life.

When I am present,

I am more prone to sensing him,

Connecting with his spirit,

And perceiving his will for my life.

If I look for him,

I can see him.

If I listen for him,

I can hear him.

I am susceptible to the frequency of his energy and feel compelled to let it channel through me.

I seem to notice things within and around me in more vivid ways.

Here's an anecdote of a time when a heightened state of presence allowed me to notice something that I might have overlooked,

If I had been lost in incessant thought or had some other form of a veil impeding my awareness.

I participated in a four-day silent retreat to learn and implement strategies for cultivating a present,

Mindful state of being.

The retreat schedule primarily included rotations between one-hour periods of sitting and walking meditations.

Furthermore,

We were encouraged to approach our daily work tasks,

Meals,

Unstructured time and all other moments during our time at the retreat in mindful ways.

The days were difficult for me,

As the structure was well beyond the scope of responsibilities and interactions that typically made up my days.

Although it was challenging,

On the final day,

I seemed to be in an elevated state of awareness that allowed me to notice things that may have otherwise gone unseen.

For example,

As I sat on a bench overlooking the landscape of the setting,

I allowed myself to simply be in awe of its picturesque beauty.

Suddenly,

I noticed a formation of birds flying above the hilltops.

They began making shapes in the sky.

The first shape I noticed was a star.

After they formed the star,

They dispersed and then flew back together to create the shape of a heart.

After they formed the heart,

They arranged themselves in a line and flew out of sight.

As they flew away,

My mind instinctively began to construct meanings out of their formations.

I interpreted the star to mean shine.

I interpreted the heart to mean love.

I interpreted lining up and flying out of sight as leaving.

Taken together,

The message I received from the birds was to shine my love into the world when I leave.

I feel that when I am present in a way that permits me to resonate with the existence and influence of God's essence,

I am allowing myself to accept the reality of my circumstances without judgment,

Whether they may otherwise be interpreted as good,

Bad,

Or neutral.

When I am practicing such acceptance,

I am inclined to sense the authenticity of where I am,

Coherently acknowledging the truth of the moment and responding accordingly.

I remain attentive to the situation at hand,

Optimizing my capacity to follow God's will for me and to do what's right at the right time.

For example,

I do not resist that which currently exists.

I do not dwell on that which cannot be undone.

I do not expend effort to force something that is not meant to happen.

I pick up what I am supposed to hold and set down what I am not meant to carry.

I think what I need to think when the time is right to think it.

Say what I need to say when the time is right to say it.

I read what I need to read when the time is right to read it.

Write what I need to write when the time is right to write it.

I see what I need to see when the time is right to see it.

Hear what I need to hear when the time is right to hear it.

I love what I need to love when the time is right to love it.

Reject what I need to reject when the time is right to reject it.

I honor what I need to honor when the time is right to honor it.

Shun what I need to shun when the time is right to shut it.

I forgive what I need to forgive when the time is right to forgive it.

What I need to condemn When the time is right to condemn it I celebrate what I need to celebrate When the time is right to celebrate it Grieve what I need to grieve When the time is right to grieve it I fill what I need to fill When the time is right to fill it Empty what I need to empty When the time is right to empty it I fix what I need to fix When the time is right to fix it Break what I need to break When the time is right to break it I create what I need to create when the time is right to create it.

Destroy what I need to destroy when the time is right to destroy it.

I build what I need to build when the time is right to build it.

Dismantle what I need to dismantle when the time is right to dismantle it.

I exercise what I need to exercise when the time is right to exercise it.

Rest what I need to rest when the time is right to rest it.

I feel what I need to feel when the time is right to feel it,

Numb what I need to numb when the time is right to numb it.

I eat what I need to eat when the time is right to eat it,

Drink what I need to drink when the time is right to drink it.

I collect what I need to collect when the time is right to collect it.

Discard what I need to discard when the time is right to discard it.

I move where I need to move when the time is right to move.

Remain still Where I need to remain still When the time is right to remain still.

I awaken Where I need to awaken When the time is right for me to awaken.

Sleep Where I need to sleep When the time is right for me to sleep.

I sow what I need to sow When the time is right to sow it.

Reap what I need to reap When the time is right to reap it.

I draw what I need to draw When the time is right to draw it.

Erase what I need to erase When the time is right to erase it.

I endure what I need to endure when the time is right to endure it.

I quit what I need to quit when the time is right to quit it.

I play when the time is right to play.

Work when the time is right to work.

I argue when the time is right to argue.

I agree when the time is right to agree.

I do the thing I need to do when the time is right to do it.

I be what I need to be when the time is right to be it.

Being present positions me to willfully accept the appropriate task at any moment.

It improves the timing of my interactions with the world through a proper balance of patience and persistence,

Essentially empowering me to be on time for whatever it is that I am supposed to be doing.

I will conclude this reflection with a prayerful poem that requests God's support in sustaining my connection with Him and being receptive to His guidance.

Dear God,

Please help me to consciously see what you want me to see,

To always be how I'm designed to be,

To mark in my mind your eternal essence,

To regard the real of your pure presence,

To discern the divine in all that I do,

To grasp the greatness of all that is you,

To fearlessly follow you when filled with fear,

To heedfully hear what you want me to hear,

To sense with my soul for the sake of your sake,

To make the meaning you want me to make,

To grow in your glory where I need to grow,

To know the knowledge that I need to know,

To fervently feel what you want me to feel,

To heal hurting hearts you want me to heal,

To hold all the hands you want me to hold,

To graciously give to the young and old,

To selflessly share what you want me to share,

To kindly care where you want me to care,

To serve in the settings you want me to serve,

To demonstrate love that all things deserve,

To greedfully guide what you want me to guide,

To willfully walk with you by my side.

I am immeasurably grateful for God's infinite existence and will attempt to remain aware of opportunities to accept His essence and influence in all things so that I may live in a way that is right for my life.

Here are a few guiding questions to consider that might facilitate your own personal reflection upon the verse.

The available dose cannot be zero.

Just look around and you will see.

Take a moment to reflect on times when you have noticed God's presence in your life.

For example,

What is an example of when you have seen,

Heard,

Or otherwise noticed God's existence?

How do you feel when you are aware of God's presence?

In what ways do you express gratitude for your connection to God?

What strategies could you implement to maintain awareness of opportunities to notice and accept God's eternal essence?

In closing,

When you realize that God is in all things,

Everywhere,

All the time,

You receive a dose of God.

The next episode in this series will be a conclusion that briefly summarizes the general scope of my reflections on each verse of the ABCs of a dose of God poem.

Thank you so much for listening.

May you consistently position yourself to accept and resonate with the doses of God that are ever presently here for you.

The reflections in this series represent my interpretations of the time they were transcribed and may have been different if they were written at other points in the past or future.

Each episode is intended to be unique,

However multiple iterations of common themes and examples are likely to surface throughout the series.

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