Holding On to Our Stuff: An Angel Message

 
Saturday, on my way out the library door, I grabbed a book on display, a last minute checkout.  Napoleon Hill's Action Activities for Health, Wealth & Happiness. 

 

Turns out, one story of the humane capture of monkeys in Africa had a lesson for me regarding holding on to possessions.  Here is how it works.  Food is placed in a container with an opening big enough for a monkey's paw to reach inside. When the chimp grabs the treat, it naturally makes a fist around the banana, nuts, or whatever the temptation may be. Now it's stuck because in order to go free, he must let go.  His fist can't pass through the opening.  The "trap" is too heavy to carry around, and the monkey sits there, holding on to the treat. Stuck by his own desires, he is then easily captured.   

The lesson is relatable.  Sometimes we can carry around our problems and stubbornly refuse to give them up.  When help is offered, we tighten our grip, afraid of the results if we let go.   Arrogantly thinking we know what's best, stops people from ever acquiring anything better.  It prevents many people from becoming who they might have been.  

The book points out, the monkey's paw can also represent our possessions.  Afraid to release what we have to those who could put it to better use, we hang on letting our possessions control us.  Like the monkey, we have to release our hold on things before the Universe can bring freedom into our lives.  Letting go and letting God is a hard lesson to learn, but if we don't, we'll never advance to the new life that could be waiting for us.  

The lesson ends with a suggestion. Think about anything in your life that inhibits your growth or freedom. Like the monkey, it occurs because you allow it to occur. 

A picture is worth a thousand words.  Yesterday's mail drove this letting go message home.  A notecard photo of a cute chimp with his fist free in a promo packet. Angelic timing.  It looks like the little monkey is free to be, having let go. When we lessen our stronghold on life often we may be surprised by an abundance, a thanksgiving table of all the good God has to offer.

 

Remember whatever you're going through, you are never alone.  You are in the company of God's angels. The best is yet to be. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen     

Letting Go, A Hermit Crab Reflection: An Angel Message

                                      

Angel messages are light-filled and easily recognized by the love they create in our hearts. And, often they pop up when least expected, but are always appreciated. 

You never know what the universe will unfold at the local farmers' market on Saturdays.  That's what makes it fun.  Some random off-beat items may symbolize my inner landscape.  An angel message, of sorts, plays out in synchronicity.  Something amusing recently happened. While digging through a vendor's wares, this elegant hermit crab paperweight turned up.  I chuckled at my reflection on  its spiral, silvery shell.  A mirror for what I'd been feeling lately,--too big for my shell.     

A hermit crab is an animal best known for its habit of occupying the empty shell of a snail.  The crab uses the shell to protect its soft abdomen, which it twists into the shell.  As hermit crabs grow they exchange their tight shells for larger ones.  Years ago, that's what happened to my young son's hermit crab. When Hermie was too big for his shell, a couple of larger shells were placed nearby for his shopping convenience. The choice was up to him.

Hermit crabs move to a new residence in the dark.  Courage and vulnerability are needed to step out of the protection of an old shell, and scurry into a better fit. 

I never forgot the hermit crab's lesson on letting go.  You can't force a hermit crab out of its shell, it won't let go, and would rather split in two.  Nature had to take its course.

One morning, to my delight, the shift had happened without any help from me.  I was amazed to see Hermie happily dressed in a beautiful new sea shell.

Change is hard, but sometimes necessary for growth.   The good news is the angels are here to guide, comfort, and protect as we leave our old shells behind and reach out for the new.

                                                                      LETTING GO

 To LET GO does not mean to stop caring, 

it means  I can’t do it for someone else.

To LET GO is not to cut myself off, it's the realization

      I can't control another.

To LET GO is not to enable, 

but to allow learning  from natural consequences.

To LET GO is to admit powerlessness, 

which means  the outcome is not in my hands.

To LET GO is not to try to change or blame another,

       it's to make the most of myself.

To LET GO is not to care for, but to care about.

To LET GO is not to judge, 

but to allow another  to be a human being.

To LET GO is not to be in the middle arranging all the

      outcomes, 

but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To LET GO is not to be protective, 

it's to permit another to face reality.

To LET GO is not to deny, but to accept.

To LET GO is not to nag, scold or argue,

 but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To LET GO is not to adjust everything to my desires, 

but

       to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To LET GO is not to regret the past,

 but to grow and live.

      To LET GO is to fear less 

and LOVE more.

                                                       --Author Unknown

 

What angel messages are coming to you today?  Look for the happy things of God to brighten your day.

 Love and peace,

Rae Karen

 

An Angel Message from the Ducks

These three ducks are out of water, taking a rest on the shore.   Their feathers didn't even get ruffled when I stopped to take a picture!  Ducks are symbolic of chilling out, not letting our emotions get the best of us, rather than react just let it all go, like water rolling off a duck's back.

If an issue is trying to surface today, just stay out of the water and rest in the sunlight.  There is a time for everything, so enjoy the peacefulness of today.  Difficulties will be handled effortlessly.

Love and blessings,


Rae Karen

A Time of Harvest

This morning I woke up to the dynamic twittering sound of birds in the big camphor tree.   A feast was in the works out back. A hundred or more feathered friends had gathered on its wide thick  branches, gobbling up the plentiful black berries the old tree had yielded.  The dynamic energy of their activity was enlivening. So much so it got me to thinking about the abundance of nature this time of year.  The harvest.  A time of receiving and a time of letting go. Sharing.

Later as I was sweeping off the patio laden with leftover berries, I smiled thinking about the lessons in nature.  Our neighbor's tall oak has been showering his tin roof in a steady rhythm of acorns that sound like a shoot-out in an old time western. Knowing the harmonious source of this barrrage makes me joyful.   Each little acorn holds the potential of becoming a big oak tree, and each tree holds the potential of a forest. Some will fall on good soil and others on surfaces less than ideal for fruitage.  It makes me think about the personal agendas I create that often block the flow of God's creativity.  The blessings are overflowing, but have no room to grow because of all my stuff that's in the way, blocking the soil for success.

This week of Thanksgiving is a time of appreciation. The harvest is plentiful, but we must make room in our hearts and minds to receive the bounty. 

It is a time to reflect on our spiritual nature and in gratitude give thanks for all our infinite blessings.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Karen

Dale, The Rescue Duck

Last evening Elliot and I went to the little lake over by the dome church. It's a regular haven for the birds.  Ducks, cormorants, sand hill cranes, you never know who'll show up.  We like to sit in the car, eating subs and enjoying the view. 

Something unusual was going on. 

Two sand hill cranes were putting on a show.  With wings spread wide open, facing each other,  they gracefully fluttered up and down like two ballerinas in joyful dance. I wished I had my camera.

A young woman had an opened  pet carrier.  I asked her if she was releasing a rescue? She shook her head, "I'm trying, but she's not ready."

Her feathered friend,  a small brownish duck with a reddish beak and soft brown eyes stayed close to her human guardian. 

"It's wonderful how you take care of the birds," I said, as she sprinkled seed on the ground.

The woman laughed, shaking her head. "I never liked anything with a beak before!" she said.  "Then three weeks ago, she showed up at my door with a gunshot wound." She pointed fondly to her rescue. "I rushed her to the vet and have bonded with her.  Since then, she's been healing my heart as I've been tending to her." 

"What's her name?" I asked.

"Dale. We named her that because we weren't sure if she was male or female."    

I looked at Dale, now the picture of perfect health, waddling close to her human Angel.  I watched the two of them do their own dance.  The Angel woman tried to coax Dale back into the carrier to take her home. Only Dale wasn't so sure.  She would come close to the door, then turn away.  "She's teaching me patience," the woman said.

Knowing Angels are always with us.  I decided to ask for help, expecting them to shepherd Dale right back inside the carrier.

But the dance continued for a long time.  Baiting her with food and a bowl of water. 

As I watched the process, I began to realize that Dale had her perfect place in God's kingdom.  That she was also an idea of God and as such could not have one shred of error in her.  In divine mind, she was already perfect and free.

"Maybe she doesn't want to come with me?" The woman said, with a change of heart.  "She was attacked by a crane near my house.  I just brought her from the vet and was told not to bring her back home because the crane would get her again." She wiped her tears away.

 I gave her a hug. "You did your part. You were like an angel to her."

Elliot asked. "What was your intention when you brought her here tonight?"

"I wanted to release her."

Suddenly Dale flew up in a tree. 

"Maybe that's her way of telling you that she doesn't want to go." I said. 

With a hint of relief, the woman smiled.  "I've been following signs.  I was planning to drive her to a place eight hours away, but then learned of this wonderful lake from a lady at the Vet.  So here I am." 

We looked up at Dale perched in the tree. 

"You've done everything you could for her.  The same protection that led her safely to you has led you here tonight." I said, as she wiped her eyes.  "You can go in peace, knowing you helped her."

She nodded, heading back to her car. I was guided to help with the pet carrier. When she opened the trunk, we heard the flapping  of wings.  We looked up.

Dale was standing by the cross on the church roof.  "She's sending you a message," I said.  "This is the way she wants you to remember her."

She looked up at her duck friend."I've been following signs." she said again.

"The world's a better place because of people like you," I said. "Thank you for caring."  Tears were falling as I watched her drive away.  I thought about The Oneness of the Circle of Life.  Ducks represent emotional healing and  Love is all there is. 

 I wondered who rescued who?

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Blessings,

Karen









 

Love is Letting Go of Fear...

 Elliot came up with an idea to spend time in nature yesterday, so we headed for Blue Springs.  A beautiful fall day, we took a walk on the wooden trail bordering the Springs.  At one of the look-out points, Elliot saw a lone fish in the clear water and waved.  It struck me as funny.  I jokingly asked him why he was waving to the fish. "Do you think he sees you up here on the deck?" 

He assured me that the carp could feel the love vibration.  I had to smile because in a matter of minutes a large school of the same fish swam over to join in the energy.

I must say I did think he was carrying it a little too far when sending love to a smiling gator.  But it was Yom Kippur a high holy day and love was in the air.

                                                (Smiling gator at Blue Springs yesterday)

On the way home, I lovingly tried to rescue a large turtle.  I feared for his life. He was leaving the woods, heading toward a residential neighborhood on the other side of the road. Elliot pulled over and I hurried to help.

As luck would have it,  I picked up a long stick to shepherd him back to the woods. Defiantly, he ducked into his thick shell as if to say, "I wish this woman would get a life!"  I must confess I talked to him about the wisdom of not crossing the road, but he paid me no mind. 

 I knew then, I was learning a lesson on letting go.  I snapped a photo and wished him well, by the side of the road.  He had to follow his own rhythm.  A young woman driving by, saw me taking a picture.  Getting out of her car with her camera, I asked, 'See what you can do to keep him safe?  As we pulled away, I sheepishly thought,  Okay...so letting go happens in degrees, but I'm learning.



My turtle friend trying to cross the road.

I'm also learning about healing.  During all the excitement,  fire ants were biting my toes.  Rather than tend to the ants, I kept my focus on the turtle, gently prodding him along.  The bites were really nothing, I told myself choosing to recognize only the perfection of being in God's image and likeness.  This little bit of conviction brought amazing results--instead of the red swollen fiery welts I usually experience, I had only a few dots that soon diminished as well as the flame. 

I looked up the symbolism of turtle in Animal-Speak:  Keynote:  Motherhood, Longevity, Awakening to New Opportunities.  "...A symbol of the turtle was an invitation for the blessings of both heaven and earth."  I read on..."If turtle has shown up, it is time to get connected to your most primal essence.  Go within your shell and come out when your ideas are ready to be expressed.  It is time to recognize that there is an abundance out there for you." 

A wonderful message for each of us.  The Autumn season is proving to be a time when Angels communicate their messages in nature.

Enjoy your day with the Angels.

Blessings,

Karen