What is the most powerful force in the universe? God. How does he manifest his power? The human brain. That's my belief, anyway.
I do think God gave us brains for a reason, and we need to use them.
I also feel God uses our thoughts and wishes to help us, even when we aren't formally praying.
I have noticed a strange but nice phenomena over the years, in my inner life. I am pretty careful not to pray for specific things, because I think that is like telling the Lord what to do. I try to pray for guidance and help, just generally, because I have learned over the years that so often what I think is the best course of action is entirely different than what the Lord has in mind.
For instance, I spent 20+ years praying for a husband and a family, in that order. Finally, I turned 40 and I just revised it to something along the lines of "Lord, I need a miracle now. I really want a family." Within months, I was on a plane headed to Russia and within a few years, I had my house in the 'burbs and my little family.
No husband, but that's OK. My kids needed my full attention. Once I quit trying to stalk and kill find a husband, life got a lot better.
I have forgotten where I first read this, but it has become my credo: "God's plans are exactly what we would want for ourselves if we knew all the facts." Exactly. Awesome words to help a stress monkey like me calm down and just get 'er done.
Anyway, back to my original premise.
I have noticed that a lot of times what I wish for, I get.
I didn't pray for it, I simply wished it into being, and so it appeared. Of course, this is usually after I had done what I could to make it happen, like emailing some of my friends to see if they could help me get Michael employed this summer. I really didn't think it would do any good whatsoever, and yet he has worked two different jobs this summer [children's tennis camp and the pool concession stand] plus a number of house-sitting jobs for folks out of town.
I have wished for silly things, like more tomatoes, or the ability to chill out and take a nap, or any number of things. Only after I get what I want do I remember that I wished for that.
Here's the catch, though. I can't stop myself from these little wishes, but I never have an expectation that they will be granted. It's like simply a lagniappe from God, in my view.
Can our minds manifest wishes and turn them into reality? I think so, but I think the catalyst is God, not just the fact that I wished.
A Facebook buddy posted a bizarre article the other day that said that folks who tried to manifest The Secret are employing methods of Satan. I think that's really overreacting. The idea that our thoughts can cause things to change in the unvierse? I agree with that. The idea that we can think ourselves into wealth? Hogwash. I also shake my head at the so-called prosperity preachers like T.D. Jakes. Seems to me he's the only one getting mega rich there, not his followers.
However, I like to consider all possibilities carefully, because I think the human capactiy to understand the universe is tiny. We need to be open to new ideas, and not just reject them out of hand.
For instance, a lot of folks view prescription medicines as wonderful and natural healing as suspect. After my recent surgery, I got a prescription filled for pain medication, and when I got home and looked at it, I thought to myself, I don't need this stuff. The pain is not that bad. I didn't take any of it. I did take a lot of vitamin C, and Grapeseed extract, and I have been trying to drink a lot of water. I take fish oil, and a B-complex and extra potassium and calcium, too. I've also tried to think positively and not get caught up in controversies.
I think diseases thrive when one is stressed out, and the best thing we can do to be healthy is to be calm.
What amazes me is how doctors think that the way to heal folks is just by a surgical procedure or a particular therapy. They don't have the time, or perhaps the desire, to really understand the entire human body. They don't sit and discuss nutrition, and how it plays a role in overall health. The school that Lesleigh is attending takes the approach that health is about the whole body, and we must eat what we need, which will be different for different folks.
You may totally disagree. That's OK. We need to keep the dialogue open, though. Think about this stuff. Research it. Recognize that God is in all things, and he is working for good, always, whether we want to believe it or not.
