Challenges

Quite often there is a tendency to see spiritual challenges and spiritual exercises as a work challenge in which you may proceed into these experiences with a feeling of rolling up your sleeves and knuckling down to gleaning all that is possible from a given spiritual teaching. I would bring to mind the picture of spiritual calisthenics, as a game, an endeavor in which there is much fun to be had and in which all who participate will certainly be benefited. We speak of spiritual climbs, ascents, of the stages in your spiritual growth, and these terms imply struggle. Indeed, it is not without effort that you as individuals reach your achieved levels, but this effort is not necessarily grueling or uncomfortable. In many cases it is possible, even at the time of encounter, to so orient yourself as to see the next spiritual hurdle before you as a joyous thing in which you will proceed with a light heart and the recognition of the inherent fun value contained.

To think of spiritual progress often conjures up memories and ideas of serious struggle and uncomfortable progress you have encountered in your lives. As these hurdles you have successfully vaulted become part of your internal library, you begin to realize that these exercises, while they may be strenuous at times, need not be unduly serious, to proceed forward to your next spiritual challenge with the same attitude you would proceed into a lively game of tennis with an associate, to look at these spiritual interactions as simple exercises. Once you have become familiar with the exercises, it is far easier to forget the exercise and concentrate on the fun value.

At first when you learn to play a game you must concentrate seriously on the rules and the procedures
for executing the game.  When you become well versed, you then can let go of the apprehension of learning a new game and begin to enjoy yourselves more fully. The same is true of your spiritual encounters. At first they are intimidating, scary, unknown, and uncomfortable. After you become familiar with these encounters, you begin to see past the expectations and through into the enjoyment derived from these encounters. Soon your familiarity with spiritual matters will be so well versed that you will seek out with joy all future encounters, and the sense of apprehension attendant with your previous encounters will have completely dissipated. You will come to truly understand that there is nothing to fear in the spirit world. You are simply growing, learning, gaining, being, and none of these experiences is harmful to you.

And so, you will learn to play this game of spirit with much more joy as time moves on, and the excitement
and joy of playing the game will be the factor which draws you into the encounter.

This does not mean that the game is necessarily without your effort. You must each time commit yourself to the game, to the encounter, to the growth inherent in the game, and you will not be disappointed when you thus orient yourself.