Flow With It | Rev. John Riley

Well, good morning. Are you feeling stuck? Are you feeling the stress and strain of life? Well, today, we’re going to learn one of the secrets to moving through the stress and strain of life. We’re going to learn how to flow with it. Good morning, everyone. I want to bring up that photo that we saw the beginning of the service. Boy, that’s a pretty amazing photograph by my friend, Brian Krippendorf at San Francisco. And have you ever felt like you were living and your life was in that big white stream of cars, kind of stuck in gridlock? Or were you feeling more like you were flowing with ease and grace like the freeway picture there? 

Stress and Strain in Life

Well, so many of us today are living in that idea of stress and strain and living in that experience of gridlock in your life. Have you ever had that experience of feeling like, “Oh, my life is kind of stuck. I’m not moving forward. I’m like sitting in this gridlock.”? And all we can think about is, “I’ve got to get off. I’ve got to find the off ramp. I’ve got to get off and find a different path. Yeah, I’m looking at my GPS, of course, on my smartphone, and it says this is the fastest route to your destination, but I know better.” And then we get off. We take a left turn, we take a right turn. And suddenly, we’re in stop signs left and right. We’re in one-way directions, and it takes us twice as long to get where we’re trying to go. 

Have you ever experienced that in life? Is that the way you’re feeling in life right now? We have the opportunity to — when we’re in that mode of feeling the stress and strain, because gridlock will happen, it just happens in life — and when we’re in that experience, we have the opportunity to step back a little bit, take a breath, and to allow yourself to be in the present moment, so that we can move through it with ease and grace. We can flow through it. We can flow with IT, the big ‘IT’. 

This Human Experience

Here’s how we do it. Because in life there is always going to be this stress and strain. Sometimes things are going to flow easily with grace. Sometimes things are going to be difficult. That’s kind of life. We’ve all heard the expression, “We’re spiritual beings having this human experience.” And this human experience, there are turns, there are gridlocks, there are things that happen that we’re just not ready for, we just don’t want to have happen yet. We’re struggling through it. 

So, as we go through that, having that realization that this human experience will be filled with it, we have the opportunity to really shift the way we are in it, shift the way we experience it and the way we go through life. We might be feeling the human experience by giving us the case of the ‘un’s. that case of the ‘un’s where we’re beginning to feel like we’re unworthy, begin to feel like we’re un-good enough (is that a word?). We can begin to feel like we’re unsuccessful. We have these ideas of who we want to be, unloving, unfaithfilled, unhappy. It gives us the case of the ‘un’s, this human experience. 

And when you’re going through life, if you’ve ever been in that gridlock and you finally get to your destination, you’re still unhappy. You’re still in that state of ‘un’. How often do we get to, let’s say we’re going to an event or to a friend’s house or going to work and we’re stuck in gridlock, and then when we get there, we have to share it with everybody? “Can you imagine how miserable my life has been for the last 30 minutes to come to your party? Can you imagine how miserable my life was now that everyone’s driving on the road and people forgot how to drive civilly, and they’re now driving recklessly, uncivilly?” They got the case of the ‘un’s. 

We start to live the un-ness all over again. We start to allow that to guide our life, at least for a little while until we’ve gotten rid of it, I guess. And then hopefully, we’re in a better state of mind. But how many of us really are? Some of us, sometimes we are in a state of perpetual stuckness, feeling like our career’s not going in the way we want it to go, feeling like “I don’t know how we’re going to be able to finish this project on time. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to get my kids into the right college. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to get back into the swing of the flow of life the way it used to be. I want to create something new. I want to be in it a little bit differently.” 

The Shift from the Human Experience to a More Spiritual Experience

And so, the steps that we can take to shift our experience from that human experience to a more spiritual experience in this human condition are fairly straightforward. There are three steps that I’d like to go with you today, go over with you today. 

The first step is the knowingness, shifting from that state of un-ness, to the state of knowingness, shifting to the state of knowing our oneness with the divine. Now, in Unity, we call God, this idea of God, we might call it divine mind, we might call it divine love, divine wisdom, infinite intelligence, the sum and source of all that is. And we call it these different things depending on how we’re relating to the allness of it, for it is everywhere present. In Unity, of course, we teach that God is everywhere present, and God is within you. So, this energy, this experience, this all knowledge, this all wisdom is within you, and you’re one with it, always. So, not only is God in me, but I am in God. For all of this experience that we call human experience, this conditional experience, this limited experience called life, that’s all within God, for God is. God is. 

And so, regardless of what you call it, what name you’re going by, or how you’re looking at it, how you want to experience it in life, you’re always in it. And so, that’s the first step when we find ourselves being stuck. When we find ourselves being cast along the rocks, being dragged in the dirt, when stress starts bubbling up, or when we kind of tune it all out and we’re just feeling a dull sense of despair or emptiness, or we’re not feeling up to the task, the first step is to just remember that God is in you, and you are in God. 

Meditation and Affirmative Prayer

Now, one of the great practices, of course, is meditation and affirmative prayer. Meditation where we get ourselves still where we condition ourselves to be in that stillness, that silence, so that we can commune with that essence that is within us. Meditation brings us to that state of calmness and stillness, so that we can know our oneness in that moment. And then affirmative prayer is the most powerful form of mind action. It’s what we say after that, what we put into the world after that, how we live our life from that state of knowing our oneness. 

So, if you practice prayer and meditation (which I encourage you to do every day, maybe multiple times a day), just practice that idea of becoming still, knowing our oneness, and then affirming that oneness. “I am one with the divine presence of life, love, and wisdom. I’m one with the infinite flow, the energy of the harmonizing energy of love. I’m one with it.” And allow that to be the knowing of your being. In Unity, we call this inner God within you, that spark that’s within you, that place that is pure and untouched, that each one of us has. In Unity, we call it the Christ. You might call it your divine spark. You may call it your higher consciousness. But it is attuning ourselves to that consciousness of the divine, attuning ourselves to that infinite flow of life, love, and wisdom. For all that knowledge, all that wisdom is there and available, we just need to attune ourselves to it so that we can become the channel through which it flows. So, when there’s stress and strain, it’s time to take a breath and just remember, “God is in me, and I am in God. And no matter what happens, that is the truth. And when I connect with that, here and now I can move forward a little bit more with ease and grace.” 

Active Faith

Now, when you take that approach, then the second thing comes online, and that’s your active faith. Now, that’s an energy that we have within us. That’s a power or an attribute or an ability that we have. It’s the energy to bring forth into manifestation that which we are truly concentrating on. I used to say our highest good, but faith works regardless, even if we’re not focused on our highest good. For whatever you’re focused on, is how you’re going to experience life. And that’s what you’re going to bring into your experience. That’s the lens through which you will see. So, you will find every instance of that in the world around you. So, if you’re talking about how miserable your life is, you’re going to be able to see that bubble up before you. It’s a beautiful expression of the law of faith. 

So, when we go back a step and ground ourselves, anchor ourselves in the knowing of our oneness with that divine infinite flow, with that infinite possibility, with infinite abundance, when we align ourselves with that, and then our faith gets activated by that, our active faith, our positive faith, our intentional faith, so we start to live life from that state of being and knowing our oneness with God, that energy is what generates within us an openness to this idea of grace. Now, often we hear about this idea of grace, as, “Oh, by the grace of God I survived,” or, “I was able to get through there.” We talk about it as if it’s a gift, as if it’s something that’s bestowed upon us when we are good, when we do a certain thing, or believe a certain thing. But really, it’s the activity that is bestowed upon us when we tune into it, when we call it forth, when we look for it. 

There’s a great quote, I think, in the Bible that describes us. It’s from Hebrews chapter 4, verse 16, that says, “Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace, to help in time of need”. So, let us approach that throne of grace, that throne of God, that throne of consciousness that is within us, that point of connection that we have within us. Let us approach that state of consciousness with boldness. I think it takes a number of things here that it’s calling for. 

First Off, a Willingness

First off, it’s a willingness, it’s a willingness to say, “Yes, I have within me that which I need to move through this experience, I have within me all of the energy, all of the knowing, all of the knowledge that I can take one step forward and continue on my path in a direction that is healthy instead of unhealthy, that is a direction that is prosperous and prospering, as opposed to un-prospering.” I don’t think that’s a word either. But that’s okay, we can use it for this term. Is that okay? I hope that’s okay. If not, I’ll hear from you, I’m sure. 

It takes a state of willingness to be able to do that, and confidence. Faith is the idea of being confident in knowing, “Okay, here’s what I want to move towards. And even if I don’t know what the specific thing is, I know how I want to feel. And so, I want to move forward, move forward and towards those feelings that I want to create.” It takes boldness. Sometimes faith takes a bold action or a bold step, or simply a bold willingness to stick with it, even in these current circumstances, even with whatever’s going on within us. It takes openness, a willingness to receive, to be open to what’s flowing to me, to be open to where I might go, to be open to being guided. As the Daily Word today says, to let go and let God. To let go of my intellectual knowing and say, “I know the exact route. I know how to get there. I can beat this GPS. I’m going to get off the road. I know the city by heart.” Oh, but did you know that there was traffic? Did you know that there was roadwork ahead? Did you know that there was somebody broken down, a car in the middle of the road stuck? Did you know all these things? 

You see, we tried to solve these problems so often from an intellectual standpoint. “I know I can solve the problem. I can fix it. I can go around it. I can look for a better solution.” So, it takes an openness and a willingness to sometimes let go and just allow that wisdom of your heart to guide you. Sometimes the off ramp works great. Sometimes it doesn’t. Let us follow our heart instead of trying to figure things out all the time. And it takes acceptance. It takes an acceptance of what is. Right now, what’s happening right now? What is the experience? What are the conditions that are happening now? What’s the data? Just acceptance of where we’re at, without creating a story around it. 

So, when you activate that energy of faith, and you allow yourself to be led by your heart, that’s when that generates that experience of grace within us. That generates that experience of grace in our lives, that idea that we are moving in the flow of life, moving with the flow of infinite wisdom, moving with the flow of IT, a capital I T. Because I don’t want to anthropomorphize this idea that we call God. For it’s not some being up in the sky granting us things or denying us things, rather it is the flow of life. And when we flow with it, we experience that grace. 

Flow With It

The third step is to flow with it, with it, not against it, not trying to outsmart it, not trying to, as I say you can’t outthink God. Someone says that. Not trying to apply my own ego and personal will towards it. But rather, just it’s a letting go at times, when we’re feeling the ‘un’s, we have to let it go so that we can be in the flow. So often, we are trying, we are efforting, we are striving to accomplish something. And that may be everything from, “I’m doing everything I can so that I make everyone happy. What do I need to do to make me happy? What do I need to do so I can get through it quickly, get to the other side of it and get out of this mess? Because I’m suffering right now. What do I need to do to just avoid it altogether? How can I avoid this thing called life.” Oh, wait a minute, we don’t want to do that. 

So, instead of trying, instead of striving, instead of efforting towards things, the practice is rather to just be with things, to be with it, to be with what shows up. So, instead of striving to do something, we can just simply be with the emotions. If I’m stuck in gridlock and I’m starting to feel anxious and angry and frustrated, and I’m looking for that way out, instead of striving to get through it, striving to make it not happen, just simply be with it. “Okay, I’m anxious. I’m nervous. I’m stressed out.” And when you start to be with the emotions, rather than letting them drive you, just being present to them, allowing them space so that they can be and then leave, so that they can be and let go. So, be with the emotions. Instead of solving, be with the confidence in knowing that the right way will show up, knowing that the GPS says, “This is the fastest route to your destination,” and you’re not moving, and knowing, “Okay, that’s the fastest route. I’m going to stick with it.” And when we take it from that standpoint, then we’re not fighting against it anymore. And instead of stressing, be free in the flowing. Instead of stressing about it, it’s like, “Okay, this is what is. I’ll show up when I show up. I’ll make it to the next step when I make it to the next step.” Instead of efforting, we can be with it. Be with the divine presence. Be with that spark that’s within you in that moment. 

Letting Go

In the class I’m taking on letting go, we’re following the book by David Hawkins, ‘Letting Go’. And this is what David Hawkins says. And this is even the same thing when you’re going through a spiritual practice, going through spiritual growth, sometimes we get stuck. And he says, “This process of spirituality in which one works through obstacles may seem painful at times, but it is only transitional. The mistakes now reappear but are resolved and recontextualized from a higher understanding. This process is shortened and less painful if it is realized that the habitual responses are not truly personal but are part and parcel with the inheritance of being human.” So, in other words, stop struggling against that, even your spiritual growth. Even at times when, you just can’t get into that meditative state, don’t struggle against it. Just be with it. Just be present to it. For this human experience comes around again and again. There’ll be times when we’re stuck in gridlock again and again. But when we can remember that God is in us and we are in God, when we can remember that we are beings, spiritual beings with spiritual worth, with a spark of divinity within us, and when we can remember to focus our faith, to activate that faith, to activate that knowingness that we’re one with it, even in the face of it coming around, again, we’re looking at it through a new lens, through new experience with greater skills, and we can move through it with ease and grace. 

Spiritual Learning

Spiritual learning is learning how to apply these unchanging principles in different ways in our lives, applying it at different times, in different ways so that we can be in whatever experience we’re in, whether we’re flowing like that scene on the freeway, or whether we’re stuck in gridlock, like that scene going into the city. We’re always present and Grace is always with us, and we can move through it with ease and grace. 

Our affirmation for today will be on the screen. And I’d like to read it first and then affirm it with you. 

In the midst of what seems like chaos, I cultivate an awareness of grace at the center of my being, I follow the guidance of my heart.

Let me read that one more time, and then we can affirm it together. 

In the midst of what seems like chaos, I cultivate an awareness of grace at the center of my being, I follow the guidance of my heart.

Would you affirm that with me? Together: 

In the midst of what seems like chaos, I cultivate an awareness of grace at the center of my being. I follow the guidance of my heart. 

And so it is. 

In this very moment, whatever your circumstances are, however you’re showing up, know that this is it. This is you in this moment. In this moment, you are a divine being, an infinite flow of life, love, and wisdom. In this moment, you are a bright light shining. In this moment, you are one with a divine essence of life, love, and wisdom, and you are expressing it boldly. In this moment, this is you.