This morning brought an opportunity to see yet another way I was compartmentalizing what I see as the presence of God in my life. I was in a blissful state of remembrance, writing statements of gratitude to Allah when an annoying message popped up on my phone. Let’s just say, my response was not the way I would respond if Allah were messaging me.
But wait, who was messaging me?
How many times did I hear Sidi say, “Make no separation between anyone or anything. See the Face of Allah everywhere.” Obviously, not enough.
So add to the gratitude list, “Thank You for Your patience with me, and for the many chances to learn and to remember. Thank You for Your Mercy that is everywhere in everything!”
Mercy truly is everywhere in everything. Mercy can be hidden and disguised in our daily lives. We may turn to the material world to release frustration or pacify an emotional discomfort or satisfy a craving. And yet, this can be a mercy for us—a hidden mercy.
These are the gifts that help us cope through the challenges of this human journey. Along the way—when we are ready—Allah changes our bodies and our hearts, and then we seek mercy in a different form. We seek a form of mercy that resonates with the calling that God has put in our hearts to call us home.
One of the most evident examples of this is food. In “Al-Mujahada: On Walking – The Great Inside War” from the book Music of the Soul, Sidi speaks of what it takes to kill the last veil of the soul to make the holy marriage with the Beloved.
The first on the list: “To eat only a little, and to fast twice a week and to eat only what is necessary the rest of the time.”
If you are among the many who have used food as a crutch, you feel the power of this statement.
From the moment the umbilical cord was cut, we began seeking sustenance from outside ourselves. From that day forward, our nafs (ego self) began weaving a web between reliance on Allah and looking to the material world and those who care for us in this world for our survival. Needs for physical nourishment get really confused with fears of survival, emotional discomforts, addictions, lack of trust, or learned habits.
Where is the mercy hiding for you?
If we want to make the holy marriage with the Beloved, all of this which has served as a mercy for us now offers the opportunity to find a new form of mercy – a healing that will lead us to the next step on the journey as our hearts are called home.
I invite you to watch your habits and challenges with food or wherever mercy hides for you. See if you find opportunities to seek a higher form of mercy. And, know Who messages you.
If you feel so called, you are invited to join us for the upcoming webinar, The Food-Body-Spirit Connection, to learn more and bring healing to your body and your relationship with your true Beloved.
Have a beautiful weekend.
Blessings and gratitude for you!
Mastura Graugnard on behalf of your friends and family at UOS
