.( Publication #8
- March, 1997 ) . .
"Weeping may last for a
night, but JOY comes in the morning"
- Psalms 30:5
. "And the Evening and the Morning Were the First Day "
© Dr. Carolyn
The new day does not begin at dawn but grows out of the darkest hour of the night. To evolve a new life, a new hope, a new ray of light there must first be the darkness. This is the essence of initiation. It is the beginning of something new. Each new life must dwell first in the darkness before it comes forth and makes its way toward the light.
A seed implanted in the earth dwells in the darkness of the soil from which it draws nourishment needed for it to germinate and bring forth a plant which then begins its journey toward the sun. A fetus awaits its time in the darkness of the womb where it is nourished by the mother who carries it until it has grown strong enough to make its way out into the light. A chick dwells in the darkness of an egg which also contains the sustenance for its growth, and then breaks forth into light.
Each new creative scheme or invention, each work of art, each musical or poetic composition dwells first in the dark recesses of our minds and is nourished until the time is ripe, and experience calls it forth. Each period of ecstasy in our lives is preceded by a dark hour. The darker the hour, the brighter the joy that follows. The seekers of light dwell where the sun shines not. Before light came to the earth, darkness was upon the face of the deep.
Let us never look upon darkness as a place of gloom and despair for indeed it is not that. It is a place of preparation, nourishment and growth, where we must prove ourselves worthy of the light. Therefore, whenever we find ourselves in the dark, let us give thanks to the God of our hearts for this opportunity for growth. If there were never an unsolved problem or obstacles to be overcome, what need would there be for hopes and aspirations? Without hopes and aspirations, what need would there be for a vision? Without first a vision, what creative forces could be put to work? And without the working of creative forces, how could there ever be growth?
The key to solving the mystery of the darkness lies within. It is within the earth where the seed is germinated. It is within the womb where the babe is nourished. It is likewise within each situation or experience of darkness where we must look to find the solution to our problem, i.e. the lesson to be learned, hence, the opportunity for growth.
One of nature's most profound laws is that of the unity of opposites. There are positive and negative aspects to everything conceivable, and even to those things which are inconceivable to us. Be they material, emotional, mental or spiritual, there is always the duality within the unity. Though one aspect may predominate, there is ever the seed of the other - hence, the opportunity for growth.
In our realm of experiences which oft-times plunge us into the abyss of darkness, all we need do is first discover the “seed" and what lies within the experience that will serve to nourish it. How often do we reach out in our despair, trying ever so desperately to pull ourselves out of the darkness. But to "pull" is to draw towards one's self. We, therefore, defeat our purpose by pulling on others, for if the wills of the others are stronger than ours, they will remove themselves from our sad state. And if their wills are not stronger than ours, they will only be drawn in to our despair.
Therefore, let us not cry out for help, but cry in. Cry in to the God of our hearts, and ask what is to be learned from this experience - for surely, there is a lesson. Let us turn our consciousness inward, for there lies our connection with the Infinite Source of wisdom and the solutions to all of our problems as well.
Learning these lessons will help us to pass through the dark hours on to a higher plane of consciousness, so that when we do reach out to others, we will reach out with the Light and Love that we have gained by growing out of the darkness. Weeping may last for a night, but JOY comes in the morning.
"And the Evening and the Morning Were the First Day " 8
Center of Joy is the monthly publication of the Lifestream Center for Creative Living. It is devoted to disseminating "Good News" that gives testimony to the positive application of the principles of living in the flow of the Lifestream. A new article will be presented each month. We invite you to apply these simple principles in your life and share your joyful results in a brief message ( seventy-five words or less) with the world via this forum.
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© 1997, Carolyn Odom Burleson, Ph.D.
Although the articles of this publication are copyrighted, they may be used by anyone to help spread JOY and Light. The following restrictions apply:
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#1 We can always start by counting our blessings. In spite of all the seeming turmoil of life, there is always a blessing somewhere to be found. Just the fact that we are able to look for a blessing is a sure sign that there is one. There is something inherent within the act of counting blessings that guarantees that as long as you keep counting, you will never run out of blessings to count.
#2 Sing . Sing a joyful song. Sing to your heart’s content. It does not matter whether you sound like an opera singer or a mouse. What matters is that your heart is filled with Joy. Start singing a joyful song, and don’t stop until your heart is singing with you!
#3 Share your talent to the delight of others. Whatever gift God has given you, give likewise to humanity. If you are a writer, write a message to inspire and uplift someone. If your are an artist, create a work of beauty that gladdens the heart of others. If you are a composer or musician, create or play a musical composition which makes the heart thrill. If you have the gift of gab, gab with kindness and joy so that others will be encouraged and inspired by your words. If you are a comedian, create wholesome laughter without obscenity. If your gift is healing, keep your own heart merry.“A merry heart does good like a medicine.”
#4 Work with Joy. Whatever work you do, do it with delight, knowing that it is an important function in the overall service to humanity.
#5 Live in the center of your Joy, and watch how contagious your joy becomes.
