Part 2 of My Journey to Kentucky

May 18, 2010:  So I had just had a Miraculous experience with the Oklahoma State Trooper and I was on my way continuing my 'hermitage' to Kentucky.  It is almost unbelievable that I could be having so much fun just driving by 'myself'!  :)  In the past, I was so focused on getting to the destination that getting there felt like such a chore and something I wished I could skip by just saying 'Beam me up (or there), Scotty!'  :)  Now I cherish the present moment and the Miracles I have been blessed to experience!  :)

The next Miracle came in the form of a diversion just outside of El Reno, OK.  During my trip I had seen many billboards for tourist stops to purchase Native American jewelry, crafts, etc.  I had just spent the last few months letting go of my attachment to material things until I was left with what fit in two backpacks in my car.  As a result, I didn't have much interest in succumbing to the egoic desire to buy more stuff!  :)  Yet, as I was just outside of El Reno I was drawn to the billboard for the Cherokee Trading Post.  There were several billboards for this location but the one that caught my attention was for authentic Native American flutes.

I had the urge to buy a flute like this several times in the past couple of years.  In hindsight, I realize that those urges were more about trying to buy stuff to fill the void that I have as a result of thinking that I have lost God's Love.  This experience was quite different and, in fact, the ego tried to talk me out of stopping as soon as I was Guided to stop.  Egoic thoughts occurred like "Another needless stop? You're losing time!" or "You just got rid of almost everything and now you want to start accumulating again?"  Once again, the ego tried to use it's own undoing to it's advantage!  After all, the ego was responsible for the massive accumulation in the first place and now it wanted to act like it was against having material things!  Not to be misled, I decided that I was feeling Guided to stop for a reason even if I didn't end up purchasing a flute.

It turned out that this would be one of the most pleasant buying experiences ever!  :)  I walked into the Cherokee Trading Post and was Guided right to the display of beautiful flutes.  There was no one behind the counter so I had time to be aware of the ego still trying to persuade me to leave without a flute.  Thoughts like "Well, no one came to help so it must not be meant for you to get a flute!" or even better "Well, look at how wrong you were...you must not really know True Guidance!"  :)  Once again, rather than give in to the ego I decided that I would look at the rest of the store and take my time instead of pressuring myself to get 'back on the road' right away!  :)

I took my time looking at all of the beautiful items being sold and made my way back to the display of flutes.  It was then that I realized I was being drawn to a particular flute.  This was not the most ornate flute on display and, consequently, was not the most expensive flute.  This was another moment where the ego tried to assert control.  In the past, whenever I bought something or started a new hobby I would always go for 'the best', i.e. the most expensive.  I see now that by doing this it was just an attempt by the ego to fill the perceived void of Love by thinking that 'the best' material possession was a suitable substitute.  As I was having these thoughts and accepting that I did not need the most expensive flute, I was greeted by a gentleman behind the counter.

Paul asked me if I had ever played the flute and I replied 'no'.  He asked if I would like to and I emphatically said 'yes'.  He said that he could have me playing the flute in two minutes and was very calm and confident in this statement.  In actuality, it was probably closer to five minutes but I'll let him and the Holy Spirit slide on that one!  ;)  After all, Forgiveness is the key to Salvation, right?  :)  The first thing Paul did was ask me to close my eyes and listen to him play two different flutes.  I liked the first one better than the second and he informed me that it was tuned to the key of 'G'.

I loved that he was using such an intuitive process rather than a logical/rational (i.e. egoic) way to select the appropriate flute.  Next he asked if I felt as though I would like a 5-hole or 6-hole flute and I felt Guided towards six holes.  He then went through the process of actually showing me how to hold the flute as well as how to breathe/exhale rather than blow!  I loved that I was going to get the opportunity to be even more aware of my breathing and resistance while learning to play such a beautiful sounding instrument!  After all, most of my life I have spent holding my breath instead of breathing deeply and easily!  :)  Also, any time he asked me to try the next technique he asked me to close my eyes which was very comforting.  Once again, this was a great way to disengage the ego by not relying on the false perception of sight using the physical eyes!  :)

Once Paul had shown me all of the basic techniques, he showed me the flutes he had available in the key of 'G'.  As it turns out, he only had two flutes in that key and one of them was the one I had been drawn to the whole time!  The other one was the most expensive flute he had for sale and I didn't feel the need to ignore the Guidance I had received by going for 'the best'! :)  Paul then pulled out four of the same flute and held up each one rotating them so that I could see them in their entirety.  He asked which one I felt drawn to and it turned out to be the one on the wall that I had been looking at the whole time!  I had such a wonderful experience just listening to the Guidance and not allowing the ego to control the experience!  :)  I thanked Paul for everything and after a leisurely meal at the restaurant was on my way again.

The rest of the journey to Kentucky was just as wonderful and before I knew it I had arrived in Williamstown at the perfect time!  :)  The retreat was a wonderful experience getting to meet so many wonderful people and really opening up even further exposing thoughts that I would have kept private in the past!  :)  My Faith and Willingness to Trust were being reinforced every day by the Miracles that I was experiencing and made everything so much easier than listening to the ego!  :)  This was no more evident than the absence of fear and resistance when considering the uncertainty of where I was going after the retreat was finished!  :)

Up until that weekend, every time I was set to leave one place I would experience fear and resistance because I was leaving it all of to the Holy Spirit.  That weekend though I would wake each day and say something like 'Holy Spirit, I ask for your Guidance throughout the day so that I may fulfill my part in God's plan for Salvation.  I also ask for Guidance in where I will be going after the retreat.'  During the first day of the retreat, Lauren sat down next to me and said that I was welcome to come stay with her in Georgia after the weekend!  I was ecstatic that she was open to the Guidance she received and was Willing to be so generous!  :)  I told her that I appreciated the offer but that I wanted to pray on it so that I was very clear that I was being Guided there and not just jumping at the invitation to allay any fear of uncertainty.  She was very understanding and it was a Miraculous encounter.

That night I asked the Holy Spirit for Guidance as to whether I should go to GA with Lauren.  The next morning, I asked the same thing and I still was not clear so I did not make a decision.  I had no way of knowing what was to happen later in the day!  :)  As the Holy Spirit would have it, Susan sat down with me and said she was Guided to offer to let me stay with her just outside of Cincinnati!  As grateful as I was to have yet another generous invitation, I was just as confused because now I was even less clear as to the Guidance of where I should go.  As with Lauren, I told Susan how much I appreciated the offer but that I needed to pray until I had clear Guidance.  In hindsight, there was a sign that I had not clearly seen when Kirsten asked me Saturday evening if I was going to Susan's.  This was weird because Kirsten was not there when Susan invited me and I was confused how she even knew that I was considering that possibility.  That night, I prayed once again with appreciation for the invitations and that I was hoping for clear Guidance as to where I should go.

Sunday morning I was even more grateful and confused as Chris offered to let me come stay with her in Cincinnati!  Here I was asking for Guidance and hoping for just one blessing and I received three instead!  :)  This compounded my appreciation but also my confusion yet again!  As with Lauren and Susan, I thanked Chris and said that I would pray to see where I was Guided.  I thanked the Holy Spirit and asked for clear Guidance when I received it a short while later.  I was sitting on the couch and Kerri asked me what time I was going to Susan's!  It couldn't get any clearer than that especially when I remember what Kirsten had said the day before!  :)  At that point, I once again thanked Lauren and Chris and told them that I felt Guided to stay with Susan.

The past ten days I have spent with Susan in Bellevue, KY just across the river from Cincinnati.  I got to see Chris again when I accompanied Susan to their ACIM study group.  I thought that I might actually go from Susan's to Chris' for a short stay before my trip to Utah, but the Holy Spirit has Guided me to travel to Georgia to see Lauren.  Lauren has generously offered to let me leave my ailing car at her place and drive her vehicle to UT for the retreat!  :)  I could go on and on with so many examples of the Miracles that I have been blessed to experience!  The best way to sum it all up is that the more I am willing to Trust the Holy Spirit and the more that I give, the more I have received.  In fact, I have received more than the ego could ever have imagined!  :)

Click here for pics of the Cherokee Trading Post

Love, Mimzy