Certainly as we grow, our concept of God changes. I grew up in a liberal Christian denomination. I was taught all of the stories in the Bible, and through these stories I developed a concept of what God looked like. To me, He was a very old man in the heavens. He had white hair, although I could never see His face, and wore a long white robe. The resemblance to Michaelangelo's depiction of God on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (which at that young age I'd never seen) was uncanny. All-powerful, very stern, a bit unyielding. He was a lot like my earthly father, whom I have always loved dearly but until very recently felt was unapproachable and a bit scary. Of course, I could never live up to what He expected of me, a lowly sinner. Thank goodness concepts can be changed!
Even though children may have what some would consider an undeveloped understanding of God, I think sometimes the very young and the handicapped have the purest relationship with Her. I remember observing a little girl with Down's Syndrome participating in a charismatic worship service. Everyone in the congregation had raised their hands to receive the gifts of Spirit. The adults seemed to be reaching, grasping, desperate for something they believed was unattainable. Yet that child stood so still and peaceful as light flooded around and through her. She had complete trust that she would receive the blessings for which she prayed.
As I grew older, the strong masculine image of God just didn't encompass everything that my experience told me God is. The concept of God's unconditional love was easy for me to embrace because my mother loved so unconditionally. It wasn't that God wasn't masculine-strong, protective, powerful. But God was also unconditionally loving, all-knowing, creative and nurturing-feminine traits. Hadn't I been taught that God is everything? Then He must also be She. As I incorporated the idea of Deity as both masculine and feminine, I felt a more constant and comforting connection with Father/Mother God.
I had a client who was a gifted psychic. She was a member of a very fundamentalist Christian church, and she and God as she understood Him had very interesting dialogues. She came to my office with a message one day after having talked with God about me. She told me that she felt I was a piece of art and that God had told her I was a masterpiece. Then she quoted a scripture from the Bible, explaining to me that God would now be my husband and that he would provide for me in a way neither of my earthly husbands had been able to.
Now I'd been presented with a whole new aspect of God-He was my husband! He was my protector and my provider. But the God of my client's understanding and the God of my understanding I found are quite different. I can tell you that after a few years of waiting for God to provide for me, I got disgusted and told Him I didn't think He did a very good job in the husband department! Of course, I'd kinda' taken a step backwards with that, thinking I didn't have to do anything... Same thing when I'd considered Him my employer-I didn't like the salary and the benefits sucked!
Developing our communication and relationship with God is a deeply personal journey, and there are as many ways to know God as there are people on the planet. When Bill W. and the founding members of Alcoholics Anonymous were drafting the 12 steps that would become the basis of their recovery program, one member insisted that all references to God should include the phrase "God as we understand Him." Thus the 12 steps were and continue to be a program that anyone of any belief can use without theological or philosophical debate. I love the unlimited possibilities available when we are free to develop a relationship with "God as we understand Him!"
I love partnering with God. As I've grown and gotten to know the many facets and faces of God, the creative aspect of God and making that creative aspect my partner I find to be most satisfying and fulfilling. When I make God my partner, I no longer am submitting to a capricious Deity who will punish me or strike me down for making mistakes. I've come to know the Divine as something within me, available to me whenever I choose to be aware. Sure, I forget the connection from time to time. But it doesn't take me long to realize how uncomfortable I am when I'm running on self-will instead of partnering with the Source of all things. The wonderful thing is that just as I was free to ignore the connection, I can turn things around just by acknowledging it again. No judgment, no punishment-only experience. Through my experience and conscious awareness I am free to create whatever I desire. When God is my partner, things go much more smoothly and results are far beyond my wildest dreams.
These are just my own thoughts about God, Great Spirit, Prime Force, Source-whatever you are comfortable calling the Divine. As with everything else, my knowing of God changes all the time as I raise my vibration and my awareness. I love the freedom and limitless this gives me-to become all I can become and to bless all other on their quest to know God. I love seeing God in nature and in the eyes of everyone I meet. And I love feeling God within my heart and soul and expressing "God as I understand Him" to all those who accompany on this earthly journey.
Namaste!
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