Feb by Ravens, Fed by Spirit, July 26, 2009

On a rainy Saturday afternoon, Rebecca and her husband, Daryl, scrambled back and forth across a slippery lawn trying to catch the latest bedraggled orphan from animal rescue.

It was a bird. Not some lovable nuthatch or beautiful meadowlark, but a baby raven; a noisy, obnoxious pest. He was a scrawny, awkward-looking thing, Rebecca immediately named him Soot.

Soot wasn't injured, but hadn't been long out of the nest, and needed feeding every two hours. The sooner this loud, homely beast was back in the wild, the better. She'd take care of his basic needs, but that was it. She did not intend to let him get attached to her.

. . . Follow link http://www.guideposts.com/story/orphaned-bird?page=0,0

Rebecca experienced the intelligence and free flow of creativity that Soot offered.

Raven

o Often a messenger
o Collectors of bright objects
o Symbol of knowledge
o Emblem of divine providence
o Crafty and strategic
• beauty, power, and intelligence have inspired legends and myths throughout time.
o Celts: Raven symbolizes protection, initiation and healing. It brings in deep healing and signifies the death of one thing to bring in the birth of another.

One of those legends is of

• Elijah the Tishbite who was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
• King Ahab married Jezebel who worshiped Baal, a false god.
• Elijah told Ahab that there would be no rain, not even dew until he, Elijah, spoke the word.

I Kings 17: 3-7 3 Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, [a Wadi is a stream that flows during wet seasons] which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. 5So he went and did according to the word of the LORD; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi. 7But after a while the wadi dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

So let’s look at this story Metaphysically
• Elijah the Tishbite
The I AM (name for God in humankind) activite in one’s higher thoughts
• East or eastward means within
• Wadi Cherith is the subjective life current in individual consciousness
• Jordan is a stream of thought constantly flowing through the subconscious
• Ravens are natural forces moving with the freedom of birds
• Bread is universal substance

Taken together
The I AM is told by the messenger of God to go within. Go through the thoughts constantly flowing through the subconscious. Go deeper within to drink from the life current in the individual consciousness that is fed universal substance by freely moving natural forces.

OR To be present to the I AM of your being, go within past the thoughts that constantly flow through your mind. Go deeper to the individual superconscious mind that receives universal substance from the free flowing natural forces. That is the free flowing activity of Spirit.

In today’s language:
To access our God-Spirit, turn our attention inward
Quiet the thoughts that constantly flow through the mind
Go even more deeply within and
Open to the free flow of Spirit in mind and heart

Elijah was told to go apart and turn his attention inward, deeply within to access that flow of Spirit.

• Whenever we are in conflict as Elijah was with Ahab, we can go apart a while. We can take a time out to gather our wits and calm our emotions.
• If we end up in the wilderness, then we can turn more deeply within, east of the Jordan.
• Notice also, that the ravens did not question or resist the message from God. They obeyed, and flew freely to do what was theirs to do.
• Even though the ravens themselves are natural forces, they offered kindness and fed the I Am of Elijah
• The story is told about two wild ravens helping a captive one escape. The two dug a hole outside the cage while the captive one dug from inside. The three of them cooperated to free the one.
o So for us, when we are feeling caged, by circumstances, by a job, by the reactions of a loved one, by whatever, we can ask for help.

• It has been said that the beginning of wisdom is kindness. Notice that the ravens offered kindness to Elijah.
o Jesus said to agree with your enemy quickly. In those human situations where another is aggressively challenging you, we have the option to agree with that person. If a person tells me I’m dishonest – well have I ever been? Is there anyone who has NEVER been less than honest in his or her life? Probably not. So it is available to agree with that person, at least in part.

Ravens are playful – certainly SOOT’s playfulness showed. Can you imagine using your computer and having a raven following and pecking at your cursor? Today’s LCD monitors, it probably wouldn’t survive.

Ravens are problem solvers. They have learned to use tools – crack nuts using stones or other hard objects.
Some Native Americans believe when Raven appears there will be a positive change in consciousness.

For us today, what do we want Raven to represent?
Whatever is most important to you,
Whatever is at the forefront of your mind,
Will eventually be reflected
in every decision you made,
AND in all your choices,
actions,
and behaviors.
This is a psychological reality.

What if the issue is to be right. What if that is the most important to us today?
What would we give to be right?
• Are there times we are so certain that we risk life and limb? Or reputation? Or happiness?
• What if you could be right 90% of the time?
Paul Buchheit writes: How to be right 90% of the time, and why I'd rather be wrong.
It's easy -- every time you hear about a new idea or business,
• just say that it won't work.
• Say that it's a bad idea,
• the wrong thing,
• a hobby and not a business,
• hopelessly naive, not innovative enough,
• too different, that it's been tried before, that it won't appeal to regular people,
• or any of hundreds of other criticisms

Are these people wrong? Only about 10% of the time.
• most new things don't work. That's why it's easy to be right 90% of the time (though the naysayers are likely to misidentify the cause of failure).
• What if instead of dismissing everything new or daring, we
o acknowledge that the future is uncertain
o pursue some of these new ideas despite the risk?
o History has shown that no one can reliably pick the winners,
o what if we were clever enough to pick the right ones 20% of the time? That would mean that were are still wrong 80% of the time.
Is it better to be right 90% of the time, or wrong 80% of the time?
We can be right, like the 90% or those who hear of a new idea or business and say it’s a bad idea, it won’t work, it’s been tried before and failed. But is it worth it?


Paul Buchheit is the computer programmer and entrepreneur who was the creator and lead developer of Gmail.

Buchheit certainly has made the most of his creativity and entrepreneurial abilities.
• Much like the Raven, SOOT.

What if there is a noisy, obnoxious raven around nagging at us to open to the wisdom and free flow of Spirit that is deep within us?


Know what is driving you!
• You can’t solve a problem with the same mind that created it.
• If it is the need to be right, then make a different choice.
• Choose a value to take the place of being right. Something like “tolerance” or “happiness” and write that word in the center of a piece of paper. Sit quietly and meditate on the word. That is, relax your body,
o Close your eyes
o Hold that word in your mind
o When associations arise, write them down
o Go back to your word
o Repeat the process until your mind is at peace with the word you have chosen.

Our inner guide knows if we are being punishing, being right, or if we are being kind and loving.

Are we feeding others and ourselves intolerance?
OR are we feeding kindness, love, and inspiration? Are we seeking the wisdom of God-Spirit?

Always remember this:
"Do not believe in anything
simply because you have heard it.

Do not believe in traditions because
they have been handed down for many generations.

Do not believe in anything
because it is spoken and rumored by many.

Do not believe in anything simply
because it is written in your religious books.

Do not believe in anything
merely on the authority of your teachers and elders.

But after prayer, observation and analysis,
when you find that anything agrees with reason,
and is conducive to the good and benefit of all,
then accept it and live up to it."
Paraphrased from http://thegospels.org/metaDictionary/index.htm

Be fed by ravens; be fed by Spirit.

God loves you, and so do I.