I start this blog with a picture of my Christmas Tree. It is an important part of what I am about to share. This is the first tree that I have had in the past 13 years. Many of the ornaments on this tree are handmade and kept throughout the past few decades and this year, two of my grandchildren blessed me with handmade ornaments (the 1 1/2 foot Santa chain on the front of the tree and the single one.) They were made with love and I was able to sit and watch the creativity come from a 4 year old and a 5 year old.
As of the end of 2015, we have 9 grandchildren and 3 step-grandchildren (thus the multiple presents under the tree). There are 6 children and 4 spouses. Our lineage is growing as I write this blog.
I was contemplating my Christmas again. This was an important year - first tree in so many years, first time all the kids and grandkids on my side would be in my home at the same time. I had plans. Oh, how I had plans. We would have an amazing dinner, the kids would open their presents and I would get pictures of them all together under the tree - a new tradition that I wanted to start.
We decided to do our family thing on the 28th of December as they all had to travel 2, 3 and 4 hours to get here. The weather this winter has been amazing, unlike any other. No snow, no ice, mild temperatures. Well, on the 28th, the ugliness kicked in. We had our first horrible ice storm of the year. My older children had arrived before it started however the youngest drove here in it and was quite stressed by the time he arrived. We were eating in shifts as our home is very small, which was fine until the next wall appeared - the hydro went out in our entire town knocking approximately 1700 of us into the dark.
Luckily with what I do, I use a lot of meditation candles, and so I brought them out and got as many of the rooms lit (dimly) and then my youngest son and his family arrived to a dark town, a dark house and an oven that would not work (even though it is gas) without hydro to ignite it. (next wall)
On the bright side, the food was still semi warm from sitting in there and they were able to eat as well.
As we sat, tried to clean up a bit, attempted to keep everyone occupied (especially the little ones that couldn't see what they were trying to play with), I allowed myself to grow frustrated with the situation. I allowed the walls that were coming up to grow instead of knocking them down. I gave into the stress of the situation. I knew the weather was continually getting worse and I also knew that all my children wanted to get home that evening which I will get to later on. As a mother, I wanted to protect them all, to keep them wrapped up and safe in my arms, however I knew this was not something "I" could do, however I did know that my angels, their angels and my belief in the protection of Archangel Michael would see them through to their destinations in on way or the other.
As they left to return home, and no, the hydro had not come back on at that point and the ice storm was continuing to get worse, I finally broke and cried like a child. My heart was broken that I could not keep them safe in my home. My heart was breaking that the one thing that I wanted so badly, a picture of all the kids and grandkids together under the tree, did not happen - in fact there were no pictures. I asked God, why I could not have just this one day go in a way that I wanted it to. And then, I received my answer.
When He spoke to me, he reminded me of the good of the day. He reminded me of the challenges that all of us face in life no matter how we serve, how we chose to live our life, there will always be challenges. It is the good that we are supposed to find in each and every challenge that I had forgot about during that day that I had made so important and put such a priority on. It was not the day that was important. It was family that was important and the memory of Christmas in the dark. It was the love that I felt for all my children and grandchildren. It was the joy and the simplicity of the afternoon.
When the children left to travel home, my heart was still filled with anxiety. I came into my sacred space, looked at the picture (my rendition) of Archangel Michael that hangs on my wall. I thanked him for putting his cloak of protection around each of the three cars and all the children, spouses and grandchildren within them. I thanked Him for getting them home safely or keeping their journey safe and not allowing them to have any accidents or be in any unforeseen danger. I had a calm that immediately came over me as I felt the love of my angel - their angel. I felt the protective cloak surrounding their vehicles and knew that all would be well.
The cloak did not change the fact that their journey would be difficult. It was still freezing rain, strong winds, ice pellets and some snow, and almost double the travel time on the road. The biggest relief was when my son's family that lives 4 hours away, stopped when they got to a city half way home and got a room for the night. All my children eventually made it home safely and when I got that last text that they were home safe, I slept like a baby.
I am no different than you. You are no different than me. We all have something that puts fear into us or breaks us down. We all have challenges in this life even though we are moving forward on a spiritual path. None of us are immune, no matter how long you have walked this path. There will always be a point that sets you off on a downward spiral. The magic in this is knowing that there is a way to turn it around and to gain inner strength. It is peeling the layer of fear off and allowing your angels to do the work they are here to do and not trying to control it with ego.
Now to continue with this message. I was told to find the good in the day. So early into the morning, around 2 a.m., I was still sitting here forgiving myself for the stress I put myself under (yes "I" put "myself" in this situation - I was responsible for how I felt). Then I started to list the blessings of the day. This now goes to the gifts that my children and grandchildren brought me.
From my daughter's family - I received my handmade ornaments for the tree from one family, a gas card so I can go visit more often, a dinner card and some homemade Christmas cards from the kids as well with some pictures that they had taken earlier in the month with all their beauty and innocence shining through - absolutely priceless.
From my son's family (my son and daughter are twins who also happen to be Gemini's which is very interesting), I received a photograph of my newest granddaughter that was born in October and it was just the perfect face looking back at me. I also received a red stapler from my son (who has an amazing dry sense of humor) which people that have seen the movie "The Office" will understand the significance of. This is something that we shared from when he was younger. We watched a lot of movies together.
From my other son's family (my baby boy), I received... a photograph ... Are you starting to see a theme here - I wanted pictures of all my grandchildren together under the tree, well Universe gave me pictures of them all separately in different situations. I did receive, in essence, what I was looking for - pictures, however it was on someone else's terms. This picture was priceless as well. This picture had a message with it. My soon to be 2 years old granddaughter was holding up a sign saying "I have been promoted to big sister". There is going to be another baby at our next Christmas. What an amazing gift.
I hope I haven't bored you with this long drawn out story, however I felt it needed to be told so all of you would understand the significance of how things are going to come up and block you during your spiritual path. Walls will come up, sometimes mountains. It is going back to basics and saying to yourself "ALL IS WELL AND IN DIVINE ORDER" and I shall survive this, I shall find the blessing in all of this and move forward.
So as I write this, I have closed the door on 2016 and I know at some point I will look back and laugh at our Christmas that I thought I would not survive and think, wow, I really let myself be drawn to the dark side ... well at least for a few hours.
Blessings to all of you and what have you overcome in 2015 that felt absolutely devastating to you emotionally at the moment it was going on? I would love to hear your stories.
Sheri Baldwin
Soaring Free Spiritual Healing Centre
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