The Greatest Gifts of All

by Brad and Jan Lundy

We’ve heard the story many times.  The Magi who visited the Christ child came bearing gifts of great worth - gold, frankincense and myrrh.  They did so to pay homage, and to offer their finest possessions to a newborn babe whose enlightened presence would eventually sweep the planet and change the world.  Perhaps there is another level of meaning to the tale.  What if, before they embarked on their long pilgrimage to ‘The One,’ the Magi searched their hearts and souls to discover their most precious gifts - virtues latent within them - treasures of untold value ready to be brought to the Light of Day.

The Gifts of the Magi could represent three of the highest vibration qualities we, as spiritual beings in human bodies, can possess: Gratitude, Compassion and Service. Qualities which, when tapped into, can deliver us to the stable of our own births as enlightened individuals.

In practical terms, what might this mean to spiritual seekers today?  It means we can dedicate our lives to embodying virtues which have the capacity to shift the course of our world once more, 2000 years after the birth of a babe in a manger did the same.

Gratitude:
Take time daily to claim your gratitudes.  Make a mental inventory or write down on paper at least three things you are grateful for.  Notice how different you feel once you’ve done so.  Notice how thinking about the wonderful people, things, or opportunities in your life actually raises your vibration, usually within minutes.  In time, with repeated practice, focusing on your gratitudes will shift how you see yourself and your world. Instead of seeing your life as lacking or ‘half empty,’ you will see it as full and rich, and you will notice more and more ‘good’ things coming to you each day.  You’ll feel blessed and, in that, you become a blessing to those around you.  Abundance and generosity of spirit will flow through you and you will become a conduit for the greater good that is available to all.

Compassion:
Do you see your fellow travelers as Spirit beings like yourself?  Human beings on a journey home to their highest selves in God?  When you appreciate how the Spirit moves through each and every individual in its own unique way, then your heart will open to others.  Compassion is the highest form of Love available, inviting us to let go of our judgments and opinions of others.  It beckons us to love without conditions, and to celebrate the Divine child within us all.

You can cultivate compassion by viewing other people through ‘soft eyes,’ with sacred vision.  Practice seeing everyone, yourself included, as Jesus, Buddha or any Divine Other would.  As we treat ourselves and others more tenderly, compassionately, we begin to erase the boundaries between us, moving toward the Oneness we’ve longed for.  

Service:
When gratitude is yours and you see all life as a blessing, when compassion is yours and you can love others without conditions, your focus effortlessly shifts toward the third great gift - service.  Soon you’ll find yourself naturally wanting to do all you can to make life good and just for others.  There are no longer any thoughts of ‘What’s in this for me?’ or ‘How will I benefit?’ because you know that in giving of yourself - your time, talents and energy - you will be gifting others with more of their own.

A consistent vibration of gratitude, compassion and service can facilitate a monumental opening of the heart centers of others.  You may have heard that a dramatic shift in awareness can happen in the presence of an Enlightened One.  As you embody the three greatest gifts in your life, you can serve as a gateway to spiritual freedom for someone else.  Your light-filled presence can reacquaint them with their own.

Then, like the wise ones of old who followed a bright star, you, too, will be a Magi, offering your greatest gifts on bended knee to the Soul of the World who needs your divine presence more than ever...

Brad and Jan Lundy are the creators of Soul Sailing©, the groundbreaking new method for living practically in the world as your Spirit self, and the authors of Perfect Love. Visit their website www.EnjoyPerfectLove.com to purchase books and subscribe to their free newsletter. See their ad in this issue and become a certified Soul Sailing Facilitator. (800) SOUL-SAILING.  Register for their ‘Perfect Love Retreat for Couples’ in Grand Rapids.  Please see their Calendar Listing in this issue for more detail.