Healing and Transformation, From Metaphysician to Mystic

I recently underwent triple bypass surgery after suffering a major heart attack. The entire experience was a series of blessings in disguise (the theme, interestingly enough, of a series of lessons I had co-presented at our church in the weeks leading up to the incident) about which I will have much more to say over time. Like all opportunities to face the end of life as we've come to know it, this experience brought me a vastly deeper understanding of Truth and Reality than I'd ever had before. A book is in the offing.

Meanwhile, however, I thought I'd share one insight that came to me in meditation today. The process of moving through standing on the brink of transition to the next phase of my eternal life has moved me from being a metaphysician to being a mystic. As a metaphysician, I found myself committed to the belief that the essential Oneness of All That Is lay at the heart of Spiritual Truth. That remains valid for me, but it has taken on a deeper dimension somehow. I find myself now completely committed to the certain knowledge that reunion with Divine Mind -- the Ultimate Purpose of Life -- can only be attained through self-surrender, which in turn requires deep contemplation and meditative prayer.

When I went in for my surgery, I did so completely unafraid, a turn of events which startled me as much as it would anyone who knew me. I had absolute confidence that I would come out the other end of that dark tunnel betteer off than when I entered it, absollutely regardless of whether I returned to this physical existence or moved on to the next phase of my eternal life. I likened the experience to an opportunity for me to evaluate a new job offer from Spirit. If I found the new opportunity more compelling than what I knew I had left to do here, I'd take the job and move on. But it would be my choice. Because I believe we are always at choice, so why should the decision to live or die be any different?

So now I unabashedly bear the label "mystic" as I turn my attention and my focus ever more deeply inward and ever more sweetly to the surrender of self withiin which lies the Ultimate Truth and the Ultimate Purpose of this phase of eternity. And I wait in wonder to see what the Universe has in store for me now.