Living the Authentic Life (Revisited)

For the month of April, I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the minister in residence at Namaste Lake Chapala, in Ajijic, Mexico, the intentional spiritual community founded by James Twyman. For my first talk today, I was asked to share my spiritual journey. Many of you know the path Denese and I followed into ministry so hopefully, you will still find value in the lessons we learned, shared here once more.

In one of Rilke's early poems, he speaks of a man who stands up without warning in the midst of a meal,

And walks outdoors, and keeps on walking,

because of a church that stands somewhere

in the East

Those who value authenticity and sincerity over conformity and status quo will eventually find themselves making radical movements to alter the course of their lives. I have done so by pursuing the path of ministry. So has Denese. To make these choices takes a little bit of craziness and a whole lot of heart.

When Denese and I chose to leave our idyllic life in San Luis Obispo, we had no clear picture of where the new life would take us, or how we could make it work for our family. We were both certain that the old life, the way we had been expressing in the world of our work, was inauthentic and soul denying. We had "good" jobs, but they weren't good for us. There was nothing bad about our former life, it just didn't allow for the deeper truth of us to emerge and express. It was a clarion call to come into integrity with the awakening that was taking place within our heart and soul and go wherever it might lead us.

Our decision to leave the stable, comfortable life went against the prevailing current within and without us. Ripples of fear washed over us as our own uncertainties joined with the murmurings of friends and relatives and threatened our resolve to leave the nest. We even joked about our sanity at times when our rational minds took aim at the plan that would have us leave professional careers, comfortable income with a baby and 10-year-old boy to live in Missouri for 2 years so I could become a unity minister. There was vacillation, and hesitancy but eventually, the decision came through a clear realization that this was simply something we had to do. It was ours to do. It was beyond our ability to fully understand and bigger than our fears could quell.

We have never regretted the decision that continues to affirm the life work that supports our deepest beliefs, despite the many sacrifices of comfort, stability, and moments of trepidation this journey has meant for our family and us. People tell us our journey was heroic, born of extraordinary courage, and vision. There may be some truth in that assessment, but what is absolutely true is that we made the journey to save our lives. Like the Israelites, we entered the wilderness to be free from a life of bondage that was strangling our life force. We could have chosen otherwise. We could have "saved" the old life and died inside. Instead, we stood up to pursue a life fueled by passion, vitality, and, authenticity.

This was our lesson and it is a lesson for everyone who will listen to their heart's call to a more authentic life. We have shared this story over and over again so that others know that the life we live is a choice.

You may find yourself standing up for no apparent reason and realizing that you can no longer play by the rules you have played by all these years. Perhaps you may question the unspoken expectations of a relationship, the rules in your workplace, and the unconscious values that dictate your life choices. The best advice I have ever received when discontent stirs is to be clear that your motivation is going toward something deep and meaningful rather than away from something you don't want. We are here to grow into a grander expression of our true selves. If there is one overarching will of the Divine for us, I believe that is it - to be more of who we truly are, on earth as we are in heaven.

Peace and blessings,

Rev. Larry