1997-07-27-Spiritual Swimming Pool

Session

Opening

Presence

Michael (Mark TR): My children, I am indeed among you today as I am frequently among you, except that this day I would bring to you my personal assurance that I am most pleased with you. I witness you speak to each other regarding how you may best be of service to my other children, and it most pleases me. You are aware that whatever you do for your brothers and sisters you do for me. You are also aware that when you act in this way, I do through you for them. In your discussions of how you should manifest your desires to be of service, I witness your sincere intents and I am honored by this intent and the sincerity therein. Your desire to more completely fulfill your intentions will ever lead you onward to more complete revelation to those around you of our Father and His love for all of us. Never stumble in your awareness that the directions you choose shall be correct and proper as when you feel motivated to act on a certain desire, trust that it is indeed your most beneficial course of action at the time.

I desire to more closely interact with you in these scheduled and unscheduled outings; we have great work to do ahead of us, you and I. I desire to take your hand and walk with you, I sharing the benefit of my experience, and you in return sharing yours. I am respectful that your course of action is of your own choosing; it is of little regard to me your exact steps, as I am convinced each step is in the proper direction. I am ever desiring to be of assistance as you take these steps, as we take these steps together. I also desire that we develop an enhanced relation between us which grows into fond friendship, as I indeed perceive you in this way and desire to interact with you in this fashion.

I am not far off, unattainable. I desire to be with your every action in faith. I send many in my stead to assist you. You may avail yourselves freely of their efforts, as you may of mine. Feel the love I have for you all; its depth you are incapable of perceiving at this time, but you will grow to understand and even share in this depth of love. Right now simply attempt to perceive this wave of love energy that I freely bestow on each of you as those in whom I am most pleased. Ask for me and I shall be with you, now or any time in the future. I leave you now but in reality I am never far from you. Be of good cheer, my beloved ones.

Lesson

Diversity

Elyon (Jonathan): Greetings, friends, Elyon speaking. Jonathan has received a visual of my lesson, and I would like to unfold this before he orders the arrangement. I would speak using the imagery of a spiritual swimming pool, for it has many implications that I would like to share. At times I would say, "some of you are", but it can be replaced with "sometimes you each", for both perspectives will provide insight.

This spiritual swimming pool is like the family of God with various dimensions and a variety of activities. Some of you approach the pool timidly, a toe or two at a time, as you carefully transition through the temperature change. Some of you enjoy the shock of a rapid plunge for it proves invigorating. Some of you prefer the diving board, go through great gyrations, and make a big splash, while others prefer the solitude of pursuing the pool bottom in the quiet. At times you find yourself resting upon a flotation device, such as a sound teaching, that supports you in this spiritual water. At times you each are content with your activities and bask on the deck, taking time off. Some of you are socially minded and enjoy the games, not so concerned with understanding, but play such as "Marco Polo" where even your eyes are closed and you can't see, but you call in faith. Some of you enjoy the athletic discipline of swimming laps, of study, of spiritual techniques that enhance your growth. Yet all of you are together enjoying recreation and athletics. I will also point out that all around this pool are the lifeguard chairs upon which are sitting your guardians, your Thought Adjuster, and Michael's good spirit, ever watching over your activities, ever prepared to provide counsel and alert you to the better methods of play and work.

This is all I will express in this imagery, and I know you are capable of deriving meaning from the various elements. I thank you.

Dialogue

Evelyn: We were told you were away for awhile. Can you tell us anything about your experiences?

Elyon: My activities took most of my time in the form of, as I referred to as basking on the deck, a brief respite from my activities here. I visited with Ardra. I also received training, for I too am in a sense a pool monitor, and I learned better methods. But, on the whole, it was time off, not time off from my work as an ascending soul, but time away from our mission program. I have received refreshment. I thank you for being interested in my activities, though much of what I undertake is hard to convey to you, morontia realms being quite different.

Mark: I would offer additional refreshment in that you were missed by those of us who so greatly appreciate all of your efforts. We thank you once again for your steadfast devotion to us.

Elyon: Your comments are warmly received. I do express my love to you, each of you, for your dedication. I in no way hold you in poor view when you likewise take your time off to rest and to be merely mortal. We have developed a great friendship, and I will continue such even as our curriculum changes based on your development. Enriching friendship is one of the Supreme aspects of growth.

Apostleship

Michael (Mark): This is your brother; I return again because I wish to answer the question present in some of your hearts. I would withhold nothing from you.

You ask, "Who are you to me?" Who are you in relationship to me? I would answer in an attempt to remove all doubts in your minds.

You are familiar in your teachings of my teaching of the parable of the talents. You are aware that different individuals of my children are given different talents. Many of my children earn talents in different ratios. You assembled here today are among my children who have been given and who have earned through your efforts a greater share of talents to hold in your possession. I will unfailingly work with all of my children regardless of their awareness that I offer. You, however, are aware that I offer to work with you in developing and expanding your many talents.

I ask not of you the same requirements that I asked of my apostles in the flesh. Each age and each time requires a different set of circumstances. I do ask of each of you to grow in awareness of our partnership together and to allow me to work through you actively and passively. You have opened your eyes to many things your brothers and sisters do not yet see. This is why I desire to come among you in greater proportion than I do many of my other children. It is through you and with you that I may now be most effective in the upliftment of my children. There is a time for all things; you here and now have been in preparation and in turn are preparing the soil for the proliferation of many of my teachings. It is your awareness of our partnership that sets you apart from many others. It is this awareness I desire to use with you to gain greater effect to the many. Never doubt that you are a valuable member in the corp I have assembled to be about this business. You simply must accept and believe. I ask that you each strengthen your faith in this regard. Redouble your efforts at increasing your faith so that when I desire to work through you, you can step out on this stronger scaffolding of faith and allow me to thus function. I ask that you have faith, but you must always and also have strength as well, for I will do this in partnership with you, not by means of your submission, but by means of your desire and will.

I know; I can see clearly that you are all up to the task. You have presented yourselves before me for the task. I accept your enlistment, and I desire we join forces and move forward. I would, if I were in the flesh today, place my hands on each of your heads and charge you, empower you with the knowledge and strength to go forth. I will do this in spirit this very day. I will touch each of you with my hands of faith upon your soul and spirit and ask for your cooperation and endow you with the strength to participate with me. Feel my presence in your hearts today as I seek to dwell with each of you individually.

Jonathan: Thank you for your visit.

Faith

When I was a child and was told Santa Claus would visit everybody around the world, go down everyone's chimney, I was baffled how that was possible in one night. Later in church I heard through prayers the request that you be with the congregation that day. I began to think, how could you do that and be with every other church at that same hour? Through my study of The Urantia Book I learned that through your Creative Spirit that pervades this universe and your Spirit of Truth which is anchored with her on Salvington, I can see how you could be everywhere, how you could visit even as you have with us, having come down our chimney. All these years I have loved you, and I seek to love you even more as time unfolds. I look forward to the day I can visit with you on Salvington, though I am not so sure I look forward to the day of leaving you, of saying good bye.

Michael: And so the desires of your heart, so shall it be. You and I will commune on many different levels. These mechanics of how and where, the logistics are but one simple aspect of the many aspects incapable of your mortal comprehension at this time . ... many levels . ..have reached beyond your ability to understand, and through faith you have believed that it is so. This is far greater of an achievement than the knowledge of how this is so. At this point it is far more beneficial to you to develop this faith-grasp of the truth. You do well in this regard as in so many.

Closing

I desire today not to leave you. While my audible dialogue with you will cease, I desire that each of you spend time with me today and listen for my internal dialogue with you. I desire to commune with each of you individually in your hearts, to minister to you separately as I did with my apostles in the flesh. This I will do with you on this day.