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Daniel; Iruka - The Benefit of Difficult Times - Important To Take Care of Self - Nov 21, 2008 SE Idaho
Southeast Idaho TeaM
Teachers: Daniel; Iruka
TOPICS:
  1. The Benefit of Difficult Times
  2. The Importance of Taking Care of One’s Self
November 21, 2008

 LYNDA:  Greetings.  I am Lynda.  I have requested this opportunity to lead all of us here gathered in prayer, and I have been granted this opportunity.  Dear, dear, friends.  Let us pray.

Almighty Father/Mother, First Source and Center, we your children stand before you in awe, desiring to express our immense gratitude for the experience that you have made possible.  Those of us who are older, who have more experience experiencing you and your ways, know with certainty that your ways are good, the challenges, though difficult and seemingly insurmountable become great feats to be viewed with pride and awe as we complete the task, look back, and see what we have accomplished.  

For our younger siblings, I would use the image of the cathedrals.  Those skilled workers who spent their lives building the cathedrals never experienced the awe-inspiring completion, the totality of the cathedral [because their lives were not long enough].  Sometimes in the midst of tasks, in the midst of growth, one’s focus can become narrow and it is like the worker chiseling on the small part of the whole, of the cathedral.  Only upon the completion of the whole can all look and see what has been accomplished.  We the older siblings have this understanding of life’s path, life’s journey, and we thank you, Almighty First Source and Center, for the satisfaction that comes from maneuvering through difficult times.  

So, Father/Mother, first we give you our gratitude, and next we ask for your ever present guidance that these students may to some degree experience the certainty of your presence, your existence, your love, your devotion, your guidance.  

And, finally, we ask that you open the hearts and minds of our students, that you sharpen our abilities in communication as we sit and share, mind-to-mind, heart-to-heart.  Thank you, Beloved Father/Beloved Mother, Michael, Nebadonia for the thrill of communicating in this way, for the opportunity to serve you in this manner, for this part in the healing of this planet, Urantia.  We ask your blessings.  Amen.

DANIEL:  Greetings.  I am Daniel, here to say hello to you this evening, to greet you, and to welcome you back together in this configuration.  We are most pleased by your willingness to pull this meeting together quickly.  I have been enjoying my rounds, my travels, as I have continued to visit and interact with you.  My role tonight is not to give a lesson.  Iruka is here and has graciously agreed to lead you, to guide you, to share some thoughts.  After her presentation, we will both be available for questions.  My dear friend, Iruka, please proceed.

IRUKA:  Greetings, my friends.  I am delighted to be here with you this evening.  I am always thrilled when we can meet together.  I know that you struggle with many things in your life.  I know that you try to make the best possible choices for whatever dilemma that you are in.  I know you strive for choices that are for the good of everyone involved in your particular issues.  It has been my observation that many times in your decisions; you tend to forget to include yourself in the thought patterns that you go through.  On many levels, forgetting yourself is a good thing.  To let go of the ego, to consider the whole, can be very beneficial.  And, I applaud you for this.  

Tonight I wish to refer to the decision making process that you go through that is more personal, that impacts your life in such a way that sometimes may not be the best choice for you to make.  What I am saying is “do consider your own needs, your own desires, that will further your own growth, and joy, and happiness.”  Yes!  Let me repeat that: “your own joy, your own contentment, your own happiness.”  In taking care of others, in looking out for others needs and wants, remember to take care of yourself, first.  Remember your own health, your own capabilities, and those things that bring you delight and joy.  You cannot give another food if your own cupboards are bare.  I don’t think I need to go on with anymore metaphors along the same line.  Feed yourself both food and emotional and spiritual sustenance.  Keep yourself strong; keep yourself well; keep yourself balanced and centered, and then you will be in good shape to help those around you.  Does this sound selfish?  Perhaps.  But it is necessary for you to keep yourself strong before you can be of any benefit to anyone around you.  

This concludes my lesson.  I would be happy to take questions, clear up uncertainties or misunderstandings.  Daniel and I both will take questions—either one.  The floor is yours.

First Student:  Thank you, Iruka.  I’ve said that statement to other people many times, but it seems to be a hard one for me to do.  Any personal suggestions, knowing my personality?  

IRUKA:   Greetings to you, and thank you.  Part of this problem is the culture that all of you have been raised in.  The image of the mother who provides everything that the children need emotionally, physically, spiritually without informing the mothers of the family that they have to take care of themselves.  Only part of the image—which is a good image—is a part of your culture, and I am addressing the part that is not there.  So why you might think this is you, personally, this has been ingrained in all of you, in all of the females, particularly, males also, but in the family, it tends to be the females.  Does this help explain?

First Student:  Yes.  Thank you.

IRUKA:  You are most welcome.

(Lengthy pause)

There seem to be no more questions.  We are keeping this short, due to the time.  However, this is an important subject.  

If there are no more comments or questions, stand, and another will lead the prayer.

Second Student:  Dear God, we would pray that you would help us to live in the moment.  We know that it is so easy to think about the past or worry about the future.  Help us to certainly see as has been expressed from our heart that we might have the fullness of the moment and be able to share and give to others because of that acknowledgment that you are with us at this moment and every moment.  Amen.
END