Marty Boyle (This time around, Soul has returned to the Great Hall to speak with Epheniel, her guardian angel.)
“Where shall we talk today, Soul?” Epheniel asked. I had assumed we would be staying in her conference room, as usual, but she obviously had other ideas. “Why don’t we be adventurous?” she continued. “Egypt? Ancient Rome? Africa?” I shuddered slightly. “Let’s leave Africa alone for a while. That lifetime was pretty challenging, and I don’t think I’m ready to revisit that continent quite yet.” I thought a moment. “You mentioned Ancient Rome. We can go there?” My guardian nodded. “You spent a lifetime there. You interested in seeing it again?” Am I interested? Yes! But as excited as the thought of it was, fear niggled at me, and I knew I needed more information before agreeing to such a trip. I thought a long moment and faced Epheniel. “You’ll be with me, right?” She nodded. “The whole time?” She nodded again. “And I won’t get stuck in that place, unable to get back to my present life?” For the third time, she nodded, smiling. I looked at her long and hard. “We’re talking about time travel here, aren’t we? Going back in time?” Epheniel laughed. “Maybe what we need to do first is to talk about time, Soul.” She returned my penetrating gaze. “You haven’t received a degree in quantum physics of which I am unaware, have you?” I shook my head. “Taken any class lately like Quantum Physics in One Easy Lesson?” Again I shook my head. She smiled. “I thought not. Pity. Now, this may sound a bit bizarre, but let me try to explain. Time is linear only on your side of the veil.” “Linear?” “Linear. Your time runs second to second, minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day. Events follow one another; years build upon the last; one thing occurs after another. Are you following?” I nodded and she continued. “However, linear time is a phenomenon only found on Earth. The reality is that we are all a part of simultaneous existence. That is, all of your human experiences take place at the same ...” She giggled. “… well, time.” I knew I looked thoroughly confused because she paused as she gathered her thoughts. “Here, let me try to explain it to you with an onion.” “An onion.” “Yes, Soul,” Epheniel said patiently. “When you cut into an onion to halve it, you don’t just cut through one layer, but all layers at once.” She thought a moment and said, “It’s difficult to understand because time is so ingrained in humanity. Even the word once is a time-oriented word. Before, after, during, when – they’re all delineations of time. But to get back to the onion, each of your incarnations is like a layer of onion.” She stopped again when it was obvious that I needed more than a crash course in Basic Onion Quantum Physics. “When I talk about revisiting previous incarnations, I do not mean we are going back, but moving to the layer of the onion that holds that particular lifetime.” I grappled with her explanation. I think I get the human delineations of time part and the onion layer part, but simultaneous existence? Phew! That’s some leap from an onion. “Okay, Epheniel. Let me see if I get this. What you’re saying is that my Ancient Roman lifetime is occurring now as this present one is occurring?” My angel nodded excitedly. “All of my previous incarnations are occurring at the same time as well – simultaneously?” “Yes,” she answered, “as well as your future ones, if you want another familiar time-oriented word, Soul. Actually, it’s a very interesting concept that should intrigue you once you are able to grasp it. Once this is understood and integrated, you can more easily cross through those layers to gather more knowledge or understanding to better complete the tasks that lie before you in a particular incarnation, whether it be thousands of Earth years in the past or future, or the present.” I interrupted her. “And the rest of the Universe is operating on this simultaneous existence thing?” She nodded. “Is it true that the Universe is multi-dimensional?” Another nod. “So, does that mean that not only could I cross through the layers to gain more understanding of my previous and future incarnations, but I can do so through different dimensions?” Again, she nodded vigorously and smiled broadly. Epheniel paused. “I’m so proud of you! Now, stay with me because it going to get a bit complicated.” It’s going to get a bit complicated now? Yikes! I gulped and nodded. She smiled encouragingly at me and continued. “Because time is not a linear existence, it is possible, then, that in two separate lifetimes – this one and another – you might need to gain knowledge that can be procured in yet another lifetime.” “Whoa!” I jumped in. “Are you telling me what I think you are?” My angel smiled. “You tell me, Soul. What do you think I’m saying?” “There are more than one physical body containing my inner core on the physical realm at any one time?” Epheniel beamed. “Well done, Soul!” “More than one of me?” I squeaked. She nodded and waited while I tried to process the information. “So, it's conceivable then, that while I am perusing the bananas at the grocery store, I might bump into ..., well, me?” She nodded again. “Time does not exist, Soul, but progress does. That is essentially why it’s possible to live in different realities, yet tap into the same pool of knowledge.” She paused again so that I might better absorb it all. “You see, as an entire group, humanity has experienced all. It is the desire of the journeying souls to experience all as individuals and then gather together as One to become Light.” She paused. “Would you like an earth realm analogy to help you better grasp this?” “Yes, please,” I replied, hoping a degree from MIT would not be necessary for this one. I smiled gratefully and nodded. “Do your elementary schools have fund raisers?” All right! I just hit the jackpot on analogies! I nodded with great enthusiasm. “Stay with me, Soul,” she said with a wink. “Oftentimes, the results of such a fund raiser are twofold: each seller is rewarded a prize, but the school, as a whole, benefits greatly from it. The more a seller contributes to the fund raiser, the more benefits will be accrued for all – sort of like a pool of funds, right?” I nodded. So far, so good. “Similarly, the more that journeying souls contribute to the pool of knowledge through each bit of individual learning that takes place, the more a part of the pool – aka God – each becomes. Therefore, in order to gain deeper understanding of that individual learning from which all of humanity can dip, simultaneous existence is not only possible, but crucial.” She paused again, her beautiful face hopeful. “So now you understand simultaneous existence as opposed to linear time?” I looked at her, dumbfounded. You expect me to understand cosmos quantum physics with only the onion visual aid and the fund raiser analogy? I tried to explain. “This is going to take time to absorb what you just told me, but I promise I’ll work at it. At least I understand the linear part.” I remembered her earlier offer, and was determined to take her up on it. “I really experienced Ancient Rome in one of my lifetimes?” She laughed and nodded one last time and gathered me again to her. “Come on, Soul, we’ll leave the time issue for now and go together.” And before I could think twice and change my mind half a dozen times, I heard a faintly-reminiscent whooshing sound and then nothing. And then everything. I inhaled a large noseful of dust and dirt from the thoroughfare in which I suddenly found myself – sprawled face down. “Get out of the way, you half-wit!” snarled a mounted Centurion guard, resplendent in his uniform, as his horse reared high above me. He had narrowly missed me as he thundered around the corner, and dodging me had slowed his pace; he was irate. I needed no other warning, but scrambled through the cloud of dust, sputtering and coughing as I strained to find what might appear to be a safe haven. I landed some thirty feet away in the shelter of a building. Total chaos overwhelmed me as I tried to make sense of all I was experiencing. Wiping the dust from my eyes and breathing a little easier, I gazed around and realized that I had literally been plopped in the middle of a busy marketplace, teeming with people, animals, sounds and smells. I leaned back against the building and looked down at my scraped knees, noticing painful welts on my legs. The realization hit that I was not only barefoot and dressed in a short, filthy, ripped tunic, but that I was a boy who had been beaten. Absentmindedly, I brushed a hand through my hair, which appeared to be a mass of unruly, dirty curls, raining more dust down upon me. As I touched my head, I realized how much it itched and I scratched it viciously, but it did nothing to relieve the irritation. When I sneezed twice and went searching for a tissue to wipe my nose, I realized that my hand was clutching a crude bucket. Another sudden realization dawned, and my heart sunk. I hadn’t come to visit Ancient Rome, as I had thought, but somehow had been thrust back into that particular lifetime. I frantically scanned the marketplace. Where is Epheniel? I silently screamed as my heart pounded in unbridled fear. She promised she would stay with me! Unbidden tears began to flow down the dust on my face, creating dirty rivulets. Then, just as suddenly, a familiar peace flooded my body, and I instantly calmed. I am here, Soul. I scanned the crowd, searching for my angel. No, Soul, don’t look for me outside of you. I am within, as I have always been. “Within?” I squeaked as another cloud of dust engulfed me, causing painful hacking. “I need you out here with me! I almost got killed by that stupid horse! Did you see that?” I sputtered, more than a little disgruntled at the present state of affairs in which I now found myself. Calm down, Soul. Of course I saw it. I am part of you. It was not yet your time to leave this realm or the horse might well have trampled you to death, now, wouldn’t it? “Now that’s a pleasant thought,” I grumbled under my breath. “I feel so much better about it all, thank you very much.” I continued my grumbling as I picked lice from my head. Ah, that’s why you are so cranky, Soul. Tell me. Did you ask me before we left what Life Chart theme had been chosen for this particular lifetime? Drat. She had me and we both knew it. “No, I just assumed that ...” Assuming again, Soul? Will you learn one day that assumptions and expectations rarely help a situation? What did you expect to be this time around – a noblewoman living in luxury, her every whim gratified instantly by her loving and protective servants? Or perhaps a Roman senator with legions to do his bidding? “Those sound good,” I offered. “Those sound like something I might like.” A sense of dèjá vu coursed through me. Where have I heard that before? Sorry, Soul, but in this lifetime, you chose to understand humility, not wealth and power. “Humility?” I muttered, still disconcerted with the present state of affairs. “Whose great idea was that?” You and your guide for that lifetime, Nemphu. And you are right, Soul. It was a great idea, and you learned an extraordinary number of lessons before coming Home. All of it – the lice, the heat, the dust, the beatings, the physical and mental deficiencies – allowed you your present understanding of humility, which you poured into the pool for other journeying souls. She watched me struggle to gain understanding, but finally asked, Would you like to meet him now? My mind reeled with all that was happening around me. A rat scurried past me and I reflexively shivered and shrank farther into the shade of the building, hoping to shrink myself into invisibility. I found I could barely maintain my flow of thoughts, let alone assimilate those of my guardian angel. I scratched my head again, thinking how absolutely, positively, miserable I was. “What did you say? You want me to meet somebody? What?” I rubbed my nose on my filthy sleeve. Nemphu, your spirit guide this life. Would you like to meet him, Soul? Oh, swell. Just what I need right now – another voice in my head. As if I don’t have enough to deal with right now. I find myself dumped injudiciously into the dust amidst this chaos, a horse nearly tramples me, I’m hot and filthy, and I positively reek! My head is crawling with lice, I have no idea who or where I am other than some marketplace located in Ancient Rome, ... another sneeze broke into my thoughts. And to top it all off, apparently, dust allergies have followed me through at least two incarnations. But mostly, I can’t believe I let myself get talked into this. When will I learn to gather more information before jumping into the fray? And for heaven’s sake, when will I know the right questions to ask so I don’t get into messes like this? I heard a low chuckle next to me and a quiet voice whisper in my ear, “Still the same old Soul, I see, Epheniel!” Squatting next to me and grinning as if we were old friends, was a dark-skinned young man with black hair, twinkling eyes and a beautiful smile. He was not dressed as the others in the square, and I had a sense that he came from an even earlier time. I sneezed one more time and made the sudden sad realization that there were no clean tissues in my pocket. In point of fact, there was no pocket. I wiped my nose with the back of my hand and looked suspiciously at the visitor. Why does he look so familiar? “I’m sorry. I appear to be up to my eyeballs in dust this lifetime and didn’t catch your name. Who are you?” I inquired as I swatted away a spider that had begun to crawl up my dirty leg. Even through the chaos of the marketplace, I heard a deep sigh from my angel. Soul, you’re not listening. This is Nemphu, your spirit guide for this particular incarnation. “Still not listening, eh, Soul?” Nemphu said, chuckling again as his hands gently covered mine. Instantly, the noise and dust of the marketplace ceased, and my mind cleared. “There,” he said. “Is that better?” I gazed at him, grinned and sighed. “Whoa! That was some neat trick!” I reddened with embarrassment. “I’m sorry I was so rude. It’s just that I didn’t understand what I was getting into when I agreed to this trip ...” Nemphu exploded in laughter. “Where have I heard those words before? Epheniel, you hear that?” I heard the distinct sounds of my guardian angel chortling deep within my head as he continued. “More than two thousand Earth years have passed, and that’s still coming out of your mouth?” “What do you mean?” I asked, a bit irritated with this rude stranger. “What’s still coming out of my mouth?” Epheniel spoke up. Before this Roman lifetime, when you and Nemphu wrote your chart together, Soul, you insisted on taking on many challenges. He tried to dissuade you, but you were stubborn. Maybe you would prefer I use the word ‘adamant.’ You know how you are, Soul. When you get an idea, you are pigheaded – kind of like a dog with a bone, refusing to give it up... “Hey!” I interrupted. “Okay, okay. I get your drift. I’m a pig and a dog. You don’t have to rub it in.” Indignantly, I pulled my hands away from those of my former guide’s. In my desire to save face, I had inadvertently leaped from the frying pan into the fire, so to speak, thrusting me back into chaos. My mind jumbled with the return of the heat, the dust and the cacophony of sound from the marketplace. “Actually, if want to know the truth,” I shouted to be heard over the din, “I would prefer you use the words determined or someone who is especially spiritually persistent.” Suddenly, what seemed like thousands of small flying, biting insects made a beeline toward me. I swatted at them, finding my efforts futile. “And what’s with these stupid bugs? They’re swarming me!” Another belly laugh erupted from my visitor. “Oh, Soul, you haven’t changed, have you? I love your determination and special spiritual persistence!” “I’m glad I continue to amuse you,” I answered rather dryly. I sneezed several more times and rubbed my itchy eyes, only making matters worse. Again and again, I flailed my arms unsuccessfully to discourage the swarm of insects which somehow had picked me as their next entrée. “Ach!” I yelled as I jumped up to rid myself of the pests, “I can’t stand this! This is awful! Get me out of here! Please get me out of here!” Another whooshing sound was heard, and I suddenly found myself sitting in an old olive garden north of the city, overlooking Rome. The view was breathtaking, and I drank it in slowly as a cooling breeze wafted through the garden. “Is that better, Soul?” Startled, I looked over to see both Epheniel and Nemphu sitting on either side of me – their faces filled with love and concern. I looked down at me again, wondering if I had changed with the scenery. I appeared to be the same boy, still filthy and covered with lice and bruises, but I was surprised to discover that now none of those earthly challenges seemed to matter. I grinned rather sheepishly at my guides and nodded. “Thanks for getting me out of there. I can’t imagine why I chose that for myself!” I paused as I suddenly remembered my irritation with both of my guides during the challenges facing me for those brief moments. “I’m awfully sorry I was so rude to you,” I offered again, hoping to placate them. Truth be told, I didn’t want to run the risk of irritating them and find myself again in the midst of the dust, heat and insects. I felt very vulnerable and was not at all comfortable in that role, in which I appeared to have no control over my life. “Forgive me?” Nemphu smiled. “Nothing to forgive, Soul. We’re a team, intricately bound. You don’t anger us; we don’t punish you.” “We understand your human response and you are loved because of it, not despite it,” agreed Epheniel. “Remember, I was once a human spirit on this journey,” Nemphu added. “I know you were involved in the Roman lifetime again for only several moments this time, but tell me, what did you learn?’ “What?” I gazed suspiciously at the entities. “Is that the number one question they teach you in Spirit Guide 101?” Nemphu answered quickly. “You should know, Soul.” “I should know what?” I vaguely wondered if the dust had caused me to become extra dull because I was still having difficulty following the conversation. “I should know what I learned or I should know that question is a particular favorite of all spiritual guides?” “Both,” came the reply in unison before they folded over in laughter. I watched them as they fought to gain control, and Nemphu wiped the remnants of tears from his cheeks. Swell, I thought with my nose still more than a bit out of joint, I not only get one bizarre guardian angel, but an equally bizarre spirit guide. That thought brought even more laughter on their parts. “Oh, this is such fun, Epheniel!” cried Nemphu. “We should do this more often! I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time.” She smoothed her spotless, lice-free gown, nodded vigorously and then looked at me. “Soul, the reason that we found that question so amusing is that you were once Nemphu’s spirit guide. Would you like to guess what question you continually asked him?” “What did you learn?” Both nodded and instantly, the giggling returned. “Finally!” I gasped. “Some good news! Tell me, Nemphu, was I a wonderful, highly-evolved spirit guide for you?” “The best, Soul! We had a great time discussing philosophy and spirituality during my lifetime.” He paused a moment. “And we had a great time laughing together.” “Wait a minute,” I protested. “Nemphu, are you telling me that you were aware of me being your spirit guide during your lifetime – even ‘way back then?” I looked at his twinkling eyes and knew I could deduce what he already knew. “Wait. Let me guess...,” “Soul still likes playing the Wait, Let Me Guess game, I see!” Epheniel smiled in response and nodded. “You must have been out there during that lifetime, Nemphu,” I finally blurted. “Out there?” repeated my former guide as his brow furrowed in confusion. “Out where?” “You know, highly-evolved..., psychic..., one-with-the-universe...,” I flung my hand away from me, but it resembled more like a flop. “You know, … out there.” Another round of giggles came from the pair, but it was such gentle amusement that I really had no choice but to join them. “Oh, now I see what you mean,” replied Nemphu. “Yes, Soul, I would place myself in a trance and the two of us would easily commune.” “Hopefully, I had more knowledge and understanding then than I do now,” I muttered. “I would hate to see someone stuck with me as their spirit guide with the limited knowledge I possess at this point.” “Actually, it was a particularly tough incarnation and you were invaluable with your unconditional love and assistance. I will be forever grateful and, hence, bonded to you. And that is why when you asked me to be your spirit guide in several lifetimes, I was more than happy to pledge myself to you in that capacity.” “Where did those incarnations take place?” I asked, a bit mollified by the recent turn of events. It felt good to know that I had not been totally ignorant all throughout eternity, although sometimes it certainly felt like it. Nemphu smiled. “You were my spirit guide during what you might term a primitive lifetime.” I nodded and he continued. “Then, later, I was your spirit guide for one of your incarnations in Egypt, as well as here in Rome.” “Whoa. I have several questions, Nemphu. Were you a female or male entity in the primitive lifetime?” “Actually, I was female, but that society was an incredible one.” His voice dropped and I sensed a deep sadness about him. “We were part of an amazing spiritual experience, which became lost to us through our own fault.” I didn’t know how to answer him, so I remained quiet. “But, the lessons learned there gave me so much understanding with my chosen tasks.” He paused, lost in thought. Finally, I spoke. “Are we talking Lemuria? Atlantis?” He nodded. “Lemuria.” “What did you mean, one of your incarnations in Egypt? I had more than one in that region?” Nemphu nodded, his eyes twinkling. “Yes, Soul, we spent an incarnation together in Old Egypt as twin brothers.” I clapped my hands in delight. “We did?” Before he could reply, I asked, “Did we have a great time?” I glanced at Epheniel’s face and quickly rephrased the question. “I mean, was there a great amount of learning taking place for us that time around?” She grinned at me and I looked back at Nemphu. “Soul,” he said, “we not only learned great amounts about the responsibility that comes with wealth, but had a great time doing so together!” “Wealth? Are you saying that I had a lifetime in which I was wealthy? There was a lifetime in which I wasn’t filthy and covered with bugs or one in which I wasn’t washing dishes?” Nemphu nodded. “Fabulously wealthy!” “All right!” I grinned at both my guides. “What’d we do with all that wealth – have parties, buy stuff and live the good life?” “Yep,” replied Nemphu, “we did that, indeed, until we realized what was truly important in life and then gave it all away. We died penniless.” I was aghast. “Penniless? We died penniless? How sad.” “Not at all, Soul,” my brother said. “We found the more we gave away, the happier we became, so eventually we just gave everything to those who needed it. We may have had no material wealth at the end of our lives, but we possessed great spiritual wealth and joy.” Nemphu gazed deeply into my being, recognizing his brother. And while I could find no recognition on my part, I knew his words to ring true. The three of us were silent within our thoughts for a long time as we gazed at the beauty of Rome that lay before us. “So why the choice to thrust me back into this Roman lifetime instead of just telling me about it?” I asked quietly. “Was it to learn something?” “What did you learn?” came the two voices together. I looked at them for a long moment, gathering my thoughts. “Well, let’s see. I learned that there were most likely no lessons chosen that involved dealing with fabulous wealth since I seemed to be a street urchin.” I paused, but my guides remained silent. “By the bruises on my legs, I would assume that I had been mistreated. Obviously, there would be a plethora of lessons to learn within the theme of abuse.” They nodded, but kept mute. “I bet I learned that happiness is found in simplicity, although that didn’t look too much like a happy place. I would imagine that there were many needy souls around me, looking for support. And, right off the top of my head, which was, in fact, teeming with lice, I would guess my response to the situation in which I found myself is pretty similar to my present incarnation. I became frustrated very quickly and very impatient with all that was occurring around and to me, and felt totally out of control.” “Well done!” Epheniel cried. “Except for the last part.” Nemphu nodded. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, Soul. “Today you were purposely placed in an especially difficult situation without any preparation. In the reality of that lifetime, however, you would have – and did – react very differently.” “What do you mean?” I stammered. Nemphu smiled gently. “Soul, you have become very perceptive in figuring out and learning lessons. In this particular Roman lifetime, you are Daius, a ten-year old male. By this point, your parents had been killed in a fire that had raged through the squalor of the slum in which you lived. You had been trying to survive on the streets alone and was near starvation when a cruel merchant took you on as a slave for a meager bowl of soup and a crust of bread each day. He beat you when you didn’t respond quickly enough to his demands.” My eyes widened in horror and my filthy hand flew to my mouth, but I said nothing. Nemphu continued. “Today, you had been sent to fetch water and speed was your only concern, not safety. Before this incarnation, you had also requested to be mentally deficient, so the opportunities for spiritual learning without much intellectual interference would increase. Unfortunately, that translated on the earthly plane as many more beatings than what might be usual in such a situation. And that’s what you perceived as safety – getting back with that water quickly so you would be spared another flogging.” “How sad,” I murmured, my heart breaking for the lad, knowing full well that lad was me. How incredible is this? Nemphu continued. “To answer your question, if you look at this through the eyes of your Higher Self, it is not incredible, but simply a way to access knowledge from other lifetimes. And, as for that particular lifetime, Soul, that was only the beginning. Without going into gruesome detail, you eventually grew to be a man, but one with deformities.” I found I could only whisper. “What happened?” “Remember the horse that nearly trampled you?” I nodded. “Another horse did eventually trample you within days of it. I was hoping that today’s scare would make you more careful, but fear of your master overrode your concern for yourself.” “The trampling must not have killed me if I grew to be a man,” I reasoned, trying to find a bit of sunshine in an otherwise stormy lifetime. “You lived, Soul, but you became a cripple. And, of course, the merchant wanted nothing more to do with you because what little assistance you had been to him was now over. A kind, elderly woman nursed you back to health, although you were never able to regain the use of your legs. You spent many years of your life as a beggar until you met a leper one day at the gates of the city and knew you had found your sacred task.” “Wait!” I interrupted. “This is important to me. How did I know it was my sacred task? Did someone tell me?” I asked hopefully. “Soul, oftentimes, when journeying souls hit what you call rock bottom, they can more easily learn to listen to inner guidance.” “Are you talking about a conscience?” I asked. Epheniel nodded. “This guidance system brings up a physical feeling that you attribute to your intuition.” “It comes from the heart?” “Actually,” my angel said, “for many of your earth decades, your scientists believed that that the heart was the core of your being.” “I love you with all my heart,” I mused. “Exactly, but this fire that is within you is not located in your heart, but lower in your physical body.” “I have a gut feeling. Is that it?” I asked excitedly. “The fire’s in our guts?” When she smiled and nodded, I asked her to continue with the Roman story. “The fire within you – your heartfire – guided you to that leper colony, where you helped bring joy to those suffering. And what others in that lifetime might have considered a negative choice – inviting death, so to speak, by entering such a community – you knew that to be only as a positive one for you understood that love transcends death.” Love transcends death. As I heard her words, the heartfire seemed to kindle in my gut – not a roaring blaze by any means, but more of a gentle ember glow. I closed my eyes, letting it spread slowly throughout my body, mind and soul. When I was confident I understood the feeling so that I might recognize it on Earth, I opened my eyes and turned to Epheniel. “How did I bring them joy?” “Through your voice, Soul,” she answered. “While your body was mangled and earthbound, you had a voice of an angel. It is with that voice that you brought joy to the all who heard you.” “I died as a leper, didn’t I?” I searched my mind for any memory of those joy-filled days in the colony left in some deep recesses of my soul, but found none. Nemphu gently nodded. “Let it go, Soul. Know that there was great sorrow in the colony when you passed on, for you were a special Light in their lives. You taught them many things, which they, too, passed on before they went Home to rest.” “Wow,” I breathed, as the enormity of the chosen challenges hit me. “I bet I did learn lots that lifetime.” I grew thoughtful. “Did I choose the voice? Was that part of the Plan?” “Actually, no, Soul,” replied Nemphu. “When we could not dissuade you from all those challenges, we knew something had to be given to you to help you cope and survive it all. We came up with the gift of song.” “We?” “Epheniel and I. She was your guardian angel during that lifetime, as well, but you requested that I be your spirit guide.” “Ah. So, I was an overachiever in at least one of my lifetimes?” When Nemphu nodded, I leaned over to Epheniel and grinned wickedly. “Please take note.” She returned the grin and nodded. For another long moment, no one spoke. Finally, my angel, broke the silence. “Did you remember any of those who shared your lifetime with you, Soul?” “What do you mean?” “Did you recognize anyone from your present life in the one you just experienced?” I thought long and hard and finally shook my head. “I think, perhaps,” she said, “it was because you re-experienced only a short part of it, Soul. That cruel merchant has played an important part in many of your lives, although sometimes the gender changes, just as yours does.” “Has he always been that cruel?” I couldn’t help but wonder as I looked at the welts and bruises on my thin bare legs. “In that particular lifetime, the two of you made a pact in order for both of you to learn lessons in abuse, but as for other lifetimes, that role is determined by those souls involved requesting such a lesson.” The confusion I felt must have shown on my face; she thought a moment and tried another tact. “All journeying souls have played that role of difficult person during at least one incarnation. It’s one of the roles chosen if a soul wishes to experience full immersion in the earthly self. As humankind progresses, however, there will be fewer difficult people on your realm because so many have already learned that lesson, for once a lesson is learned, there is no further need of the role. If you are ever able to have recall of past lives, you may look for this soul because he or she, in the role of the difficult person in your life, has helped you make remarkable progress along your path.” “How are we all supposed to cope with the difficult people in our lives?” I persisted. “It’s wonderful to say up ...,” I haltered momentarily, ... “here that we contracted with them to learn, but it’s yet another thing to deal with them in our daily lives on Earth.” Epheniel paused. “Ah, now that’s the key, isn’t it? Surviving difficult people in order to learn from them!” She thought a moment. “Well, Soul, the first thing you have to always keep in mind is that difficult people are gifts from God, chosen by you to help you learn. Keep that Big Picture in mind and you won’t feel so sucked under when they are around you.” “Sucked under?” “Soul, have you ever had a conversation with someone and felt drained at the end of it?” I nodded. “Ever thought to yourself how much that person exhausts you?” I nodded again. “You need to remain aware of those types of humans and the effect they have upon you. ” Epheniel noticed my confusion and paused, pondering how to further explain. “I want you to be conscious of this in your world, for once aware, these situations are generally easy to spot. When you go into a room and everyone seems down, as you stated, their energy levels are low. This is often accomplished when someone brings negativity into the room. In order to balance that negativity, those in the room send forth positive energy, thereby depleting their own supply.” “How’s that work?” “The earthly self gives the energy to the Higher Self, who sends it out when a situation warrants it. And while your own physical energy may be depleted, your Higher Self energy tries to balance the negative energies of the room. Remember, we have pledged to walk as One to become Light. We have pledged to help those around us, regardless of your energy level.” “Sucked under,” I mused. “I sure hope I can do that. It sounds important.” “It’s critical, but you’ve done just that without even realizing it; you have that knowledge. Just transfer that to all the little physical, emotional, and spiritual attacks difficult people launch. What you are doing is removing your ego from the scenario and looking down upon it as you would a chessboard. Once ego has been removed, the emotion that often accompanies attacks from difficult people is released, as well. You are now free to look at the situation objectively, figure out what you are to learn from it and move on – without them. When you learn the lessons they came to share, you no longer need to have them in your life. Does that make sense to you?” I nodded once again and she continued. “When you are able to step out of the emotion, you are also stepping out of the pain of the situation, for pain is not necessary to understanding and growth. Challenges, yes. Pain, no. Choose to see these situations through love, rather than fear.” I thought a long moment, stunned by the staggering implications if such a concept could be understood and implemented by all journeying souls. “There are an awful lot of journeying souls in awful situations,” I mused. “Yes, I know,” Epheniel answered. “Another practical suggestion for these types of people is for them to pray so that they might allow themselves to view the difficult person through the eyes of their Higher Selves. As a Lightworker, you can also assist them with Prayer, Love and Light.” “Okay,” I agreed. “That sounds good. I’ll give it a try.” I paused a moment in thought and both guides waited patiently. Finally, Nemphu broke the silence when it was clear I was lost in thought. “What, Soul? What is troubling you?” “Oh, I was just thinking that I wish I had remembered to see the Big Picture during any of my emotional or spiritual tailspins. It would have made them all so much easier to bear.” “Your Higher Self feels no regrets, Soul,” said Nemphu, “so try to release the regret habit. You need to remember that everything is a lesson requested, including tailspins. Don’t you see by now that tailspins were all part of your plan in order for you to learn to view the Big Picture?” I nodded hesitantly, clearly not yet convinced. Nemphu smiled and thought a moment. “Think of it this way, Soul: give Life your best shot, learn your chosen lessons, and when things don’t go as planned in your human brain, release regrets and move on. When you dwell on regrets, you live in the perceived negativity of the past. And likewise, when you spend time worrying about what the future might hold for you and whether or not you can face it, you are living in the perceived negativity of the future. In fact, by worrying, you surround the future with that perceived negativity – much like trying to carry heavy, unwanted baggage uphill. Live now, Soul – in the Now. When you are able to do that, you will find that your understanding and learning will increase one hundred-fold.” It all made sense. I vowed to try it when I returned. It would feel good to let those regrets and what-ifs go. Whenever I get into that mentality, I hoped I would recall that thought process with the unwanted baggage draining my energy. So much to remember! I looked over to my special guides, who were patiently waiting for me to process all that I had heard. Finally, I spoke. “Let’s see. Where were we? Oh, yeah. Finding people from that life that may have joined me in my present incarnation.” I thought for a moment and then glanced over to Epheniel. “The old woman who nursed you back to life? The leper at the city gates? The cruel master?” she asked. “Do you have knowledge of them from this incarnation?” Again, I thought for a moment and shook my head. Nemphu smiled. “It isn’t necessary that you recognize them now, but be aware. When you meet another journeying soul on your realm with whom you quickly connect, remember that you feel that way because you chose to be in each other’s human journeys. When making life chart choices with other light entities once upon a time, space and dimension ago, souls often ask others with whom they have already worked to join them again. The recognition you feel helps your earthly self to be more easily drawn to them.” Suddenly, my eyes drooped and my body felt very heavy. I realized that I was about to drift off to sleep, but I ached to spend more time with Nemphu and Epheniel. “Is it time for me to go?” My angel chuckled. “Time, Beloved? I think now is the time to return you to your realm and your own bed – minus the dust and lice. Sleep well – and until next time, we’ll bid you farewell.” “Sweet dreams, Soul,” Nemphu said softly. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” I yawned loudly. “I sincerely hope that is only a saying, and not my new reality after today’s visit. Thank you both for allowing me to re-live that Ancient Roman lifetime – dust and all.” My eyes gently closed and I heard a slight whooshing sound. My time with my beautiful angel and guide was quickly coming to an end. “Maybe next time we can visit one of my lifetimes in the Pleaides. I hear they’re bug-free.” [Excerpt from This Time Around –https://www.martyboyle.com – mjboyle607@aol.com] |
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