Let’s open with a prayer of gratitude and thanks.
With gracious gratitude, we give thanks to all that is, all the probabilities, and all the possibilities we have been privileged to explore in our lives. We send blessings and gratitude to all of those we love, who love us back, and those who do not. We send out thanks to the Earth, the stars above, and especially our sun.
We remember all the firsts in life. The first ice cone, the first puppy kiss, the first scraped knee, and the first broken heart. We let those memories drift around us today, allowing our hearts to be full and our minds to be joyous. As a senior, even the bitter times can fill us with joy.
We send out gracious gratitude to our future times, where our steps will lead us, where our hands will brush, and where our eyes will be filled with new memories.
To the god of our understanding, please know that we may not always do things right and may not always perfect your guidance the first time, but we will always respect and appreciate the patience the Universe has granted us.
And so, it is – thank you, thank you, thank you.
For me, fall is a time of reflection and new beginnings. And during this time, I welcome the increasing darkness as a match for the lessening light. Being able to go for walks in the early evening and enjoying the first stars appearing in the sky. I would say it nurtures me. More dinner parties, evening family gatherings, and special events happen for me in the fall than at other times of the year.
And the colors, so crisp and fragrant, add a spiritual ambiance. In history, this time of year was all about harvesting and stocking up for the coming winter. Animals feed to get fat, and rodents add things to the hiding places. Everything gets busier during this time of year, and gets back to seriousness after the loving summer months.
Recently, on one of my early morning walks, I looked out at the stars, marveled at Capella, and felt gratitude that it symbolizes Fall for me every year. And although it is Thanksgiving weekend for us, I started thinking about Easter long ago. An easter that taught me a lesson of giving.
This is my Fish and Loaves story, and although it is based on something biblical and this is a Spiritualist church without dogma, I believe it has a spiritual heart. I have told you this before. In telling this during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I hope the story’s spirit reaches into your being with joy and lets you know how powerful giving can be.
This happened to my daughter, Niyanna, and me when she was just 11 years old. It was a joint spiritual experience, probably the only one we shared firsthand.
During that spring, for several weeks before this happened, I had been questioning my religious upbringing. (I was raised Catholic.) I told myself that Christ’s story was so supernatural that it could not have been real. I had convinced myself that it was all just parable and metaphor.
That year, my stepfamily hosted the turkey feast at the family property on Pitt Lake. I was asked to bring dinner rolls. When I asked how many people would be there, I was told 10 or 11. I stopped and shopped on the way to the boat that Friday night and figured a dozen would be good. Later, I discovered it was not 10 or 11 on Sunday afternoon – it was closer to 18. I told Niyanna, “Oh lord, I had one easy thing to do and I messed it up.” We put out the buns and sat down on the couch. I was embarrassed.
Then it got worse, and Niyanna saw it too. The younger kids were getting their plates fixed up first. All of them were going past us with 2 or 3 dinner rolls on their plate. I heard someone beside me laugh and looked to the right to see who it was, and no one was there.
As we went up to fill our plates, I saw everyone had at least taken a bun; some adults had two. I started counting and got up to 24 without trying. At that point, I thought, “Oh, someone else brought the same buns as I did.” I am still embarrassed, but at least there is enough.
We sat back on the couch, and as I ate, I kept hearing that same laugh beside me on the right. Being a Medium, I was sure it was a spirit, but I couldn’t figure out who it was. After dinner, I casually asked the host, “who else brought dinner rolls”? She replied, “Just you.” Niyanna was with me then, too, and heard her say that. So, we started politely asking around, and everyone said they didn’t know or they didn’t bring dinner rolls. Because I just couldn’t let it go…
After dinner was cleared, I was alone on the front deck when I saw a golden glow near the water and heard someone say, “Of Fish and loaves.” It was then that I realized the Universe had heard me doubting miracles and the story of Christ. Somehow, dinner rolls had manifested in real time right before our eyes, and no one else but Niyanna and I had witnessed it.
The story of fish and loaves is a mystery – there was not enough to eat, and Jesus performed miracles to feed everyone. In modern times, we in Canada do not need to manifest food, as we have quite a bounty to nourish us.
I had taken things for granted and turned my back on the truth. I had forgotten what giving can do and that things can be true even if I do not witness them firsthand.
When giving thanks this weekend, it is important to remember to be grateful and open-minded lest we hold ourselves back from the true meaning of giving. If you are reading this and doubt its truth, please remember to be open to something during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter.
May you have a blessing of your own Fish and Loaves story, may your cup runneth over from giving, and may your cheeks burn late in the evening from all the smiling you did during the meal.
Rev. Lea Walters
A frequency video to set the stage for miracles happening in your life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbssPxAC70I
P.S. Here is the section of the bible that the fish and loaves story appears in.
Matthew 14:13-21
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
West Coast Spiritual Evolution~Rev. Lea Walters 