Finding Joy in Those I Love

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
                                        -Robert Frost-

These lines from the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost epitomize my life.  Deciding to accept Jesus at an early age, remaining a virgin till I got married, choosing to be a stay at home mom when the kids were little, adopting a raw food diet and healthy lifestyle, and turning my back on traditional medicine (except for emergencies) to cure me and instead using diet and lifestyle to heal from within.  I wouldn't be alive now if I had continued to follow the path of traditional medicine. Being willing to look within ourselves and follow our own path in life is so important and truly does make all the difference. 
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This week I started listening to the guided meditation, but soon after the woman started talking I realized that some of what she was saying went against my beliefs.  For me as a Christian the Holy Spirit is my inner essence who guides me, is my gift giver, heals me, and helps me along my path in life.  That role doesn't belong to a person either living or dead, except for Christ himself.  So instead, as I listened to the ocean waves, I thought lovingly of people that have been inspirational and guiding influences in my life but are now deceased.  I took time to remember and thank each of my grandparents, my infant son, and my best friend of thirty years who just died last year on her birthday.  I saved my best friend Jennifer for last because there isn't a day that goes by that I don't look at her picture and smile.  I can still hear her say over the phone "What's up Al".  She had battled breast cancer on and off for 10 years progressively getting worse as "treatments" intensified.  She had not decided to take the road less traveled when it can to her disease, and though I knew the treatments were killing her, I was there to support her in her decision.  So, even though I modified the meditation exercise a bit, it was such a blessing to sit and reflect on loved ones who are gone from this world but never gone in spirit, and embrace the thankfulness I feel for each one of them.
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Praying has been a part of my life since I was a child and has helped me to walk on the more narrow path in life.  But, learning how to  incorporate meditation with the prayer has made a big difference.  Prayer is more talking to God with just a little listening, while meditation is actually being still and looking deep within allowing me to really listen.  Combining the prayer and meditation has helped me to have a deeper walk with the Lord and has shown me that in the stillness is where I truly grow.
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To me the phrase "One cannot lead where one has not gone himself" means that as a health and wellness professional I cannot affectively counsel people on changing their diet and lifestyle unless I have been willing to do it myself.  I need to be living my life daily in a way that reflects the message I am giving out.  This means eating healthy, exercising, and meditating to keep me on the path to integral health.  As my mother always told me "It's walking the walk, not just talking the talk". 

"Thank you Lord for the path you have put me on in this life.  Thank you for each person that you have allowed to touch my life. Help me to touch lives and make a difference in this world."