Angels and other heavenly appearances

Angels have no philosophy but love. Adeline Cullen Ray

Before the training session at Choices begins, Thelma Box, the creator of the program, gives the coaches three rules: 1. Love the people when they walk through the doors. 2. Love the people when they walk through the doors. 3. Love the people when they walk through the doors and keep loving them.

This week, I was blessed with the responsibility of being one of two Team Captains. Our job, to ensure the training ran smoothly, the coaches were on task and that no task was left undone. For the five days of training to be successful, the schedule needs to be adhered to, processes completed in sequence and the details effortlessly filled in. Papers need to be handed out. Lights dimmed. Microphones shared. Chairs moved. Circles formed. Signs posted. Doors opened and closed.

Everyone was on task and completed their jobs with ease and grace to create a successful week.

But that's just the practical part of the training.

For each trainee to 'walk away a winner', as the C&W song suggests, they must feel loved.

And that's where the angels come in.

I was surrounded by angels all week. By human beings of the ethereal kind who, through their constant and continuous loving of each trainee, created the space for miracles to appear amongst us.

On Friday morning, Bill Spangler, who is the Choices Rep for Alberta, asked the group to look around the room, to see the faces beside them and across from them and ask themselves, "Is this the same person who walked into the room at noon on Wednesday?"

In two and a half days, burdens were lifted, broken hearts opened to love, and spirits awakened to their beauty. Eyes had brightened (and would become brighter yet within the next two and a half days). Frowns had turned into hopeful smiles. Heads were lifted higher. Faces softened. Bodies stood taller.

"Think about the stories you've told and how in their telling you have freed yourself of their pain," he said. "And then, think about the people you meet out on the street, in your office, at the coffee shop. Like you they're just ordinary people going about their business. If each of us in this room carries pain, is it possible every person we meet is carrying pain too?"

Pain and sorrow is limiting. Past hurts lugged into today inhibit our ability to move freely.

What would happen in the world if everyone could let go of the pain and sorrow of the past, no matter how small, how trivial, how inconsequential they think it might be? What if everyone gave up keeping up appearances and simply appeared as the beautiful human being they are right now and loved themselves for all they're worth -- warts and blemishes and all?

What a different world this would be.

There were angels in the room this week. And, amidst their beauty, miracles unfolded in the hearts and minds and spirits of everyone.

In their loving embrace hearts beat freely, dreams awoke and the world became a more loving place.

It is possible to 'change the world one heart at a time'. To do it, we must never stop beating the drum of love.

The question is: What drum will you beat today? What pain will you release to free yourself up to loving yourself just the way you are?