The Gold of our Lives, the Soul

Our souls are the gold, pure and simple, of our selves and the pathway to the truest part of ourselves, the created self. Do you know that only about 20% of the gold on earth has been mined? Most of the rest lies in the earth’s core. [http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/03/09_gold.html 5/26/14] Like gold, our souls need to be found at our core, mined and purified, all the impurities in the self burned off, so that this core, valuable element is revealed.

Life is the crucible, the container, in which all elements of the created and conditioned self are heated to high temperatures, through challenges to the conditioned self, so that the impure elements can be burned off and what is left is the pure soul, the gold of ourselves, as God created us to be. What is left at the end of the process is pure gold, soft and malleable, pure and reflecting the Light of God.

Life at every turn challenges our adopted, conditioned selves—our preconceptions, our assumptions, our shame and guilt, and our own preferences in order to lead us back to the trajectory of our creation. Listen to the synonyms for crucible—trial, fire, ordeal, gauntlet, baptism, initiation and more. We are given the gifts of resilience and support and presence as we face up to these trials.

We were given free will and born onto this planet where good and evil struggle in the same crucible of life, so that we will freely choose, when we are ready, to follow the tracings of gold, of the soul, wherever they lead. Those flakes and small nuggets lead us to a life lived fully and completely. They lead to an ability to love, freely and completely. They lead us to God, to where there is nothing, not an idea or a wall or a person or a need, not anything, that would stand between us and loving God.

So, when the challenges come, don’t ask, “Why Me?” Look at every challenge as an opportunity to burn off more of the dross and impurities. If you can’t embrace the baptisms by fire, at least don’t resist them, for they will make you into a real person living a real life. Ask instead, “Lord, what am I to learn now? This seems to be the lesson I need. Show me how to face, to embrace this test.” And the next one, and the next one.

The pure gold of our lives is expressed in the fruit of the Spirit. [Galations 5:22-3] As we face our tests and learn our lessons, we are gifted with these qualities: we live in love, in joy, in peace, in patience, with kindness, with generosity, with faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We will recognize these qualities growing in ourselves as we go through the tests that life sends us. And we will be radiating these very qualities out to everyone, that is, e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e! we meet. Our lives will testify to the love of God to everyone! We will be advancing the kingdom here on earth as we were created to do.

We will no longer be controlled by anxiety or fear, by anger or jealousy, by rejection of ourselves or others; we will no longer be holding God at arm’s length, limiting what he can do in our lives to our own comfort zone. We will be free at last to be who we really are. Amen!

Questions to ponder over the week: Am I answering Jesus’ invitation to “come and see?” Or do I ignore his call? Am I allowing Christ to mine the gold in my life to bring forth its treasure? Am I seeing my ability to love, to be at peace, to have joy—and all the fruit of the Spirit—grow as I allow Christ to lead me?

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Find me on YouTube! www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pat+adams+by+the+waters. There is one video, “Jesus’ Message in a Nutshell” and one audio talk, “Gratitude.” If you like them, please tell your friends. I’ll be posting one video a month, more often audio tapes.