As I've shared over the course of the last few weeks, I've been working on building a personal relationship with the divine. Not knowing where else to begin, I've started by expressing my thanks for the various events that transpire in my daily life. I begin each day, first by welcoming the sun to a new day and then, in turn, by thanking the divine for the gift of a new day and the blessings that are waiting to unfold. The process isn't overly dramatic or ritualized. To be honest, I give thanks as my car turns east on my way to work and I find myself facing into the rising sun.
It may seem overly simplistic, treating each moment as a gift, but I've found a simple transformative power when I approach life in this manner. Iin the process of giving thanks, I'm implying that something outside of myself is offering that moment to me as a gift. By saying, "Thank you," I'm acknowledging an interaction between two entities - the one who gives the gift and the one who receives it.
In this way, a relationship is slowly being built. What's more, that relationship isn't built on awe, or a desire for power, but upon blessings and thankfulness.
I've found that I've begun to instinctively be thankful for other things - the light that stayed green when I was in a hurry; the joy my children bring to me; the opportunity to develop patience behind a slow driver. As I learn to be thankful for simple moments, my spirituality begins to seep into my daily life. Each moment is instilled with the touch of the divine; simple moments become something more. Life becomes a gift. There is no good or bad, only gifts touched by the hand of the divine.
As I continue to thank the divine, I've instinctively found myself wanting to personalize the experience. Instead of a vague force, I picture the divine as both male and female, as both the Goddess and the God. Slowly they begin to take on features and a personality. The more real they become to me, the stronger I find my relationship with the divine.
In these simple ways, I've begun to build a personal relationship with the divine. When I began this quest, I didn't realize that it would be so simple or unfold so quickly. It's nice to be pleasantly surprised - and to instinctively wanting to say, "Thank you," for the journey.