A love so strong that nobody and no thing can take you away from you! Rev-Bates

               Dr. O. C. Smith, was not only my teacher, his demonstrations of the principles of Religious Science/Science of Mind/Metaphysics were evident to everyone who came in contact with him. He didn't just "walk the talk," he embodied it in his heart and soul, so whenever he would offer a suggestion, I would take it and go with it. During a 3-day holiday, he suggested that I; 1) attend a funeral service, which I did, and 2) spend a day at the beach, alone, and just write everything that came to my mind.

                      I went to Point Dume, just a little north of Malibu, California to Zuma Beach off the Pacific Coast Highway. When I first sat on the beach it was drizzling rain and overcast. As I sat in the stillness, I could see dolphins swimming and playing close to shore. Sea gulls of various varieties were around me and flying overhead. Other than the sounds of the sea gulls and the waves of the ocean, there were no other sounds around me. As I looked out across the ocean, I understood why Dr. O. C. had made his suggestion. It is impossible to visibly see where the ocean begins and where it ends from this vantage point. The word "water" in the Bible means mind, so as we look out at the seeming infinity of the ocean, we connect with the One Infinite Mind/Spirit. As I sat and contemplated the seeming infinity of the ocean and observed its activity, it became apparent very quickly that Life is motion, energy and activity. All Life is. Nature is the perfect example of this. If not for the activity and motion of the ocean, the water would become stale and stagnant. The Life within it, the dolphins, fish, etc., would most probably die away.  Our lives are the same, without activity, without that spark of vitality and excitement, we become stagnant and stale.

                     The ocean looks infinite but of course it is not, it is but a spark of infinity, and each wave is but an attribute of the ocean. This is our core relationship to G-d, Infinite Spirit. We are connected to G-d, to Life, as the wave is connected to the ocean. Without the activity of the ocean, there is no wave. Without the activity of G-d, there is no Life.

                     Later on during the day, I began to be surrounded by people, mostly families with children. To the adults the break of the tides and the waves were predictable, but to the small children they were thrilling and exciting. I watched as several small children ran to the edge of the water and then ran back as the tide moved in. They were boisterous with delight in the "newness" of the experience. It was a marvelous sight to behold and I couldn't help but laugh with them and feel their joy and vitality. As adults we lose this excitement, this experience of "newness" as we allow our lives to become mundane and predictable. We must seek "newness" every day, in our work, in our relationships and in our experiences. There is always more to be experienced in everything. People who have worked in the same field for years can still find something "new" in what they do. There is always something "new" to be experienced in relationships, even ones that have lasted many years. "Life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing," stated Helen Keller. This is so true. As I observed the children at play in the water, this truth became even more apparent to me. We must not allow ourselves to lose this sense of adventure. We must seek it in all the things in our lives. We must trust the Universe in which we live to provide more than what we see in everything, more than we have experienced previously.

                    Whether we go to the beach or to somewhere else where nature is evident to us, we should view that which we see as G-d Creation. We should think of G-d/Spirit as a glorified Presence in all things - closer to us than Life itself. And we should know that, as we come near enough, in thought, to this Presence, we will enter into realizations, of the great and the good, beyond anything ever known before. When we look more to the Spirit, and think more about the Infinite, we will enlarge and perfect our vision. As we begin to live our lives more fully trusting in this Love and Goodness we automatically begin to see more harmony, more joy, more peace and more love in our experiences.

                    Dr. O. C. Smith told me in no uncertain terms that we should live each day as fully as possible. We should live it to that inner Spirit that guides us without fail to our highest and greatest good. When people disapprove of us they are really just attempting to take our freedom of choice away. In their disapproval they are saying that we must live to their ideas, not our own. When people love us sometimes, this love is but another attempt to mold us into their idea of who we should be. Don't let it happen. Cultivate a healthy love for yourself. A love so strong that nobody and no thing can take you away from you!

Keep the Faith!
Henry Lee Bates
(Reverend Dr.)



The Way to a Wonderful Life radio ministry. spiritual not religious