Floyd was a cranky old man, a salty old cowboy who worked at a local nursery. He liked to make remarks just to see if he could get a rise out of you. Many people got offended by him or treated him like a disgusting old geezer. He took a shot at me one day, “You look pretty good for a 90 year old woman.” I stopped, looked him in the eyes and made myself look for his Divine light. I smiled at the play of our roles. “You look pretty good yourself for a 100 year old man,” I laughed. He came up and got sweet and shook my hand. “I like you!” he said. “You’re not stuffy like a lot of them ladies who come in here.” “Well I like you too,” I said. “What’s your story?” I was intrigued by this character, God in the form of a salty old, mouthy cowboy! I was amused.
He talked to me for over half an hour telling me about bar brawls he got in at an earlier age in towns still very much stuck in the old west. He told me about the time he got shot. And then he told me that he loved working with plants because they “were peaceful” and to my utter surprise he began to confide in me that he was a bit of an artist who made southwestern-style “jewelry ladders” “for the ladies” out of saguaro cactus ribs. Go figure! That was the last thing I expected to hear. He spoke of his craftsmanship, how he selected the right materials, and how he tried to make everyone unique. Suddenly Floyd transformed from this salty old mouthy cowboy, into an artist who cared about making use of a regal fallen cactus in a way that brought beauty and delight to others. God in costume indeed!
Many times I have met people who would be easy to judge by their body, personality, or role, but the angels have taught me to catch myself, to avoid making assumptions, and to ask questions, read, research, listen and get to know them better. They’ve had me pray to see people through God’s eyes. In every case I’ve been astounded by seeing beneath the superficial facade of the body, personality, and role.
Years ago when I worked in a large corporation a young man started chatting with me as he came to repair the huge Xerox machine. I struck up a kind conversation with him as I waited. He was sweet, kind, and very respectful. Suddenly he looked me in the eye and said, seemingly out of the blue, “I killed someone when I was younger. I spent years in juvenile prison. Thank you for treating me kindly.” I nearly cried on the spot as his soul spoke to me.
“What happened?” came out of my mouth. “You don’t seem like you’d be capable of harming anyone.” He looked down. He told me he had been abused. He’d gotten into drugs. He couldn’t think straight and he let rage posses him. He regretted his action every moment of his life. And he told me he was grateful for his time in prison. He felt like he found a father figure who mentored him and taught him about God and helped him get his life on track. He knew he couldn’t change his past but he said that every day of his life he promised God he’d do something good for someone. “There you go,” he said, as he finished fixing the Xerox. I hope that helps you have a better day. He left and I never saw him again. Damn. I was floored. So much for my assumptions about anyone!
Time and again life has taught me to look beneath the masks, behind the appearance and beyond the role. I’ve been gifted, as a result, with seeing the extraordinary depth in people that many never get to know. I’ve been privileged to hear beautiful dreams in beautiful hearts. And I’ve been humbled by seeing my judgments rendered false and unkind. The Divine within me has helped me see the Divine within so many others, that my own life has been transformed by these seemingly simple interactions.
As we approach one of the most divisive elections we, in the US have ever seen, I think it is important to realize that we are Divine love, voting for Divine love in different costumes, wearing different masks, and playing different roles. Let us focus on the light within all, no matter what our preferences, and maybe just maybe, we can be the ones to empower the light to rise up within those who will play an important role in our history – no matter who that might be. The angels won’t tell me which candidate will win. All they respond gently is, “God. God will win.”
Here are a few pointers how to focus beneath the body, the personality, and the roles
1. Look in your own eyes
The eyes you see in the mirror as a newborn baby will be the same eyes you see in the mirror in old age. The body will change. The thoughts will change. The personality will evolve. Nonetheless, the soul behind those eyes will remain unchanged. You are so much more than what appears on the surface. Look deeply into your own eyes, in silence, until you feel a sense of connection with the essence of love that lies within.
2. Look deeply into others’ eyes
We’re all wearing face masks right now which forces us a bit more than usual to look into one another’s eyes. Look deeply. Imagine your eyes are sending love, greeting the love deep within another’s eyes. Smile with your eyes. Beam love with your eyes. Feel the light within you connecting with the light within the other.
3. Challenge yourself to get to know people more deeply
Strike up a conversation with someone you’d normally judge. Soon you’ll be seeing beyond appearances. Ask someone in a role you are familiar with what they do for fun. You might be very surprised. Read a biography about someone you don’t understand to see what made them play the role they do. See if you can find the passion or the love beneath their actions. Challenge yourself and your assumptions about people, and try to get to know them better. Inevitably we find our shared humanity.
We are conditioned to make assumptions about people based on body, personality and role, but there is so much more to each and every one of us. Digging for that gold, finding that essence beneath the form, and challenging ourselves to know ourselves more deeply is time well spent.
Beneath all of our masks, and costumes, and roles we are so much more. As we start relating to each other heart to heart and soul to soul, rather than body and personality and role to role, love is the inevitable force that will arise to give us a deeper, richer, and more meaningful experience of life and all our relationships.
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