INSIGHT by Martha Iglehart
There is power in gaining insight. Maybe power isn't the proper word to use; maybe value is the word I’m looking for. YES! There is value in gaining insight. Gaining insight shifts my perspective and opens me up to discover new things. Gaining insight can satisfy my curiosity, give me a better understanding, and expand my mind. All are highly valuable if you ask me!
Such was the case recently. I had the honor of being part of a very diverse group of like-minded people in a vision planning workshop for our church. While I say we were like-minded, I discovered that we had many varying ideas. But the real discovery for me was the insight I gained that was lying dormant inside me. The experience from our workshop stirred my soul. It got me to examine an honest question. Why do I go to church? And, like when we stir things up, sometimes what’s at the bottom rises to the top. What rose up for me allowed me to see more clearly why I am drawn to Unity and its commitment to focus on the teachings of Jesus.
Growing up in the Baptist church and a devout Baptist household, my image of God was this distant mythical man that I feared but was told to love and obey. Not to take anything away from my foundational learning or diminish its importance and the part it has played in bringing me where I am today, but I now realize that, for me, that kind of thinking kept me locked down and afraid. I looked for GOD outside of me and never considered looking inside of me. I felt powerless and oppressed. Probably much like the people Jesus spoke to in his Sermon on the Mount.
I’m drawn to Unity because I hear more about my indwelling Christ and my divine nature than I do about God’s wrath and the devil. I have come to understand that the Kingdom of GOD is within me. Wow! Talk about a shift in perspective. My source of goodness and power is right here and here right now. And here’s where it gets so powerfully real and exciting. This is liberating for me! Not only is it liberating, but realizing my divinity, that GOD and I are ONE (as she is with everyone), also helps me to accept my innate powers. My power to heal, to create, to love, to release, to think, to imagine, to gain insight and grow in knowledge, to have control over my runaway thoughts that tend to dismantle me from time to time, and most importantly, to have the ability to be hopeful when life is chaotic and doesn’t make sense at all to me.
It took me decades to get to this place on my journey and to accept my divinity. It took a lot of letting go and surrendering. It was challenging stuff with tears, frustration, and confusion as my companions. It took and continues to require trust and faith. As much as I would like to think this is a path that eventually arrives at a set destination, I know it’s not. It’s about a journey to becoming what I came here to be…a more full, more wholesome, healthier, and more loving Martha. And that is a long, slow walk. What a valuable insight.
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