  Spiritual
This week: Edited by: larryp
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Love, like a river, will cut a new path whenever it meets an obstacle.
~~Crystal Middlemas |
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Whenever I research the word “spiritual,” another word immediately comes to focus – “love.” Like two streams rushing downhill, love and spirituality merge into a mighty river, carrying sustenance for life. Last summer, my wife and I vacationed in the mountains of southern Utah. One of the signs I read at a state park called water the “life-giver.” The river created by the merging of ‘spiritual’ and ‘love,’ is another ‘live-giver.’
How does one approach the topic of love? The word has flowed from the quills of many pens and has consumed writing on stone walls, books, and poems for as long as the written word has been part of the history of mankind. It is part of who we are as mankind, for I believe the desire to be loved flows in our veins, pumped with urgency from the center of our spiritual being – the heart.
As a writer, I am confronted in each thing I write with the difference between “showing” and “telling.” In poetry, the showing is accomplished through the use of imagery. Showing and imagery draw the reader into the story or poem, making them feel part of what is happening, rather than merely being told about it. When I visualize the word “love,” this difference between showing and telling, this idea of imagery comes to the forefront.
I enjoy hearing my wife say she loves me; I like to tell my wife I love her, but if I never showed her that I loved her, if she never showed me that she loved me, how would we know the words were more than mere trite statements? Without showing, without imagery, the word ‘love,’ is merely telling, not allowing the recipient to be part of the actual essence of love. Without the imagery, love seems to be colorless, and the heart – the seat of spirituality – is not affected. When the heart is not touched, love seems lackluster and the spiritual being is deprived of one of its basic needs.
Love is active verb, a colorful adjective, and a noun that represents a symbol of something internal, which is often expressed externally. Love expressed comes from inside; love received is cherished inside. Giving of love is as important as receiving love; for without a giver, there would be no receiver.
Many of us have been hurt by those we expected to love us. When love received is blocked, we often forgot how to give love. It is important to remember and start giving again. When it comes to love, we are dealing with interpersonal relationships and what one of us is perfect? We will fail, even in our greatest desires to succeed. We will show our human side and people will be hurt. But if we stop giving love because we have been hurt or because we have caused pain, love will cease to exist within the realms of mankind.
I am reminded of a small mountain lake I saw in Utah; a rushing river flowed into this scenic lake. At the downhill side of the lake, there was a narrow mouth covered with moss, limbs, and other natural debris forming a small dam. Yet, the water found a way to trickle across the edge of the dam until it once again gathered strength and rushed downhill. This is the way of love. There will be times when it is dammed up, but when we find a way to express love gently in mere trickles, soon we will be actively expressing love again.
The old adage says it is better to give than receive. There is much truth to this. Our spiritual being thrives on giving love as much as on receiving it. It seems this is how we are wired spiritually. For a writer, spiritual well-being is important; in many ways, it is the seat of creativity. When it is clogged, the ink may not flow well.
Learning or relearning to express love isn't a guarantee to bring world peace or a utopian environment. There will, most likely, always be those who strive for power, control, and deception. But the very presence of such people makes it so much more urgent for those who will to express love. The giving of love, likewise, is no surety that others will love us in return. There are no guarantees when it comes to love. It involves much risk-taking, but it will also bring a deep sense of gratification to the spiritual being.
Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. . . . It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.
~~Erica Jong
Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away.
~~Elbert Hubbard
We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.
~~Sam Keen
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Some truly good reads from around the Writing.com community:
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The editing team and the guest editors of the Spiritual Newsletter appreciate your feedback and thank you for taking time to read the newsletter. Have a great week. Stay warm; be blessed.
larryp
spiritually blessed 
That was a very powerful Thought.
I'd like to add that I came along when the change was just in effect. The path was being cleared., but as a little girl I saw and felt the seperation, when I should of only had to worry about playing with dolls and jumping rope. I could only remember if there was a way that I could get peace established without getting assasinated.
however the most beautiful feeling now is the victory. It is not in our nature to seek revenge, but to seek peace at last, to be free..Thank God almighty we pray that we are going to be freed without being stereotyped.
spiritually blessed, way may never forget what those who came before us accomplished and may we carry on their labor of love, in new and exciting ways.
Larry
monty31802
Fantastic quotes you picked Larry and a Newsletter making some fine points.
Congratulations on doing another fine job.
Monty
Thank you Monty. I really liked the quotes.
Larry
SHEA
Always great and refreshing words you to offer us all Larry! I am honoured to be one of the people to get a copy of the Spiritual Newsletter.
Many Thanke,
Shea
I am honored by your words and appreciate your support Shea.
Larry
embe
To endorce my feelings.
by embe
In my dreams
the ghosts of ebony
are poems of old?
waiting to be told
of slaves in nameless graves
working on their knees
to the crack of whips
upon their backs
in the farmers fields.
How can it be?
that innocent families
once free
were hunted down
and sold as slaves
to those in a world of gain-
“Boasting democracy
of social equality”
While others live in freedom?
Free to be who they want to be,
not enslaved and oppressed
degraded and mistreated.
embe, you have such a unique and creative way of responding. Your words here are powerful. Thanks for sharing them.
Larry
abbaamme
Thanks, dbi, for the great email you sent and the generous gps which accompanied it. Since it was personal, I won't include it here.
Larry
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Spiritual: January 28, 2009 Issue [#2855]
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