I think you get point.

Yes sir, neglect is a powerful force. Is there anything in your life that you’re neglecting? Maybe you should do an inventory of your life, assessing what is important and what is trivial. What about spiritual things? Shouldn’t spiritual matters be important enough to make top of your list? Jesus said that we are to seek Kingdom of God first, and then other things will be added. Maybe it’s true. Life, for believer, is all about aligning our priorities. When we take care of “first things” “second things” will follow naturally.

Remember, Jesus created us to thrive in life. He has given us abundant life in Him. Shouldn’t it be a natural thing to put Him first? If so, why are we neglecting prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, tithing, helping our neighbors, and so on and so on? These things are important too. Joy stands for J-Jesus first, O-others second, and Y-yourself last. The only way to spell joy is to put “j” first------JESUS!

Keep faith. Stay course. Jesus is coming soon!

Pastor T (Matthew 6:33)

In truth, despite my example, you are not a puppet. You are created in image of G-d. You are invested with conscious awareness and power to choose.

You can choose to relate to yourself only within context of your limited ‘role’; specific circumstances, struggles and goals of your daily life. You can believe, or at any rate live, as if that is whole picture. This is like identifying with appearance and role of puppet and with script of whatever play is being acted out today.

Or you can choose to look deeper, seeing through limits of your ego-based identity and immediate life circumstances to Creative Divine spark that makes you live.

So what’s this got to do with love?

Back to my experience. I didn’t know who I was, much less who man was. I was disconnected from all stories, agendas, past and future. I was disassociated from my identity, puppet. But love – leaping of my heart, my essence, to connect with another, was very, very real.

That’s because love is an indelible part of landscape of soul. Like spark within a flintstone - invisible but unextinguishable - spark of pure unconditional love is concealed but infinitely present within essence of every one of us.

Kabbalah often compares soul to flame of a candle. Just as a flame is always reaching up, trying to reconnect with its source in supernal fire, at pure heart of all love and yearning is soul’s passionate desire to reconnect with its Divine Source.

Within every human being who walks face of this earth, there is a pure spark of Divine Source of us all. Just as we’re drawn to connect with our Source, we are drawn to connect with that spark. Your own pure essence is seeking to connect with pure essence and spark of another.

As long as you identify exclusively with puppet, i.e. your limited ego-based identity, love that you experience will be limited as well. You will allow yourself to embrace only that which reinforces your ego, helps you meet your ‘survival’ needs, and protects you from a frightening sense of vulnerability. This level of love, although very human and an integral part of most relationships, is conditional and agenda-based.

But when you identify with Divinity within yourself, part beyond stories and agendas, you create an opening for your essence. This automatically creates an opening for essence of others. And wherever essence touches essence – love – authentic love - becomes revealed.

Making it real:

There are two basic paths to creating this opening, and both are important:

CREATE AN OPENING: Challenge limiting boundaries of your identity by doing things that take you out of your comfort zone. It’s especially important to do this in your relationships. For example: allow yourself to be vulnerable, let someone else be right, listen to understand instead of to be understood, open yourself to a new point of view, give generously of your resources even when it feels hard.

FILL YOURSELF WITH LIGHT: Nurture your inner spark by doing things that connect you with G-d and your own soul, a higher, truer plane of reality. Communicate with your Creator from your heart. Get more deeply acquainted with G-d’s perspective and your soul’s mission by learning, absorbing and integrating deep, powerful light of Authentic Kabbalah. Give charity and practice kindness. Watch for your messages and for opportunities to make a difference.

All of these things will help you to expand limits of who you know yourself to be and create an opening and channel for your essence to express itself.

© Shifra Hendrie, Kabbalah of Transformation

Shifra Hendrie is a personal and spiritual coach who has been studying principles of authentic Kabbalah for over 20 years. Her workshops deliver this transformational spiritual wisdom in a unique and powerful way.