A Journey with Grace through Transformation

Let me, first, define what I mean by ‘grace’ so that I can then examine grace in the context of the sequential steps of transformation: awareness, acceptance, and change. Grace is an exalted state of divine influence resulting in no difficulties, challenges, struggles, guilt or burdens.

Grace may come through awareness in those moments when time seems to stand still. At times it can feel like a flash of light. Something dawns on us—a new insight, seeing something a different way or anew, realizing our judgements or condemnations. This awareness may come out of the blue. It may come from a traumatic event. Or it may come as a result of our devotional or similar practice. But grace is always brought to and through us. Grace is not something we do necessarily. It is an allowing, mostly unconscious, of something other than our small self to show us something else, a new vision.

Even though we may be shown something anew, it does not necessarily mean we will accept and adopt that new vision. In the movie classic Christmas Carol the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, was visited by three ghosts and shown things from his past, present and future. Initially, Mr. Scrooge did not want to accept many of these visions. It was only toward the end of his journey into the future did Mr. Scrooge begin to accept what he was being shown. Once Mr. Scrooge began to accept what he was being shown, did change unfold and occur.

The story of the Christmas Carol is symbolic of so many of our journey with grace through awareness, acceptance and change. Allow me to use a personal example of journey with grace through awareness, acceptance and change.

In 2006 grace came to me in a flash-of-light-like experience. On a fateful 2006 morning, I woke to a clear and audible message. It was the closest I’ve ever come in my life to ‘hearing’ a voice from the ethers speak to me. The message was “Rob, simplify you life: materially, financially, relationally (i.e., with other people).” In the days that followed I became intensely aware how unhappy I was with my life. At the time I was still in the headspace of blaming everything and everyone around me for my unhappiness (i.e., it’s there fault; they did this; they did that, etc.). But the underlying awareness of my unhappiness was acute.

Fear quickly reared its head as I asked myself the questions: “What do I do now? How do I change my life? What do I change? What do I change to?” The fear was so intense that I momentarily (i.e., weeks) denied change was possible and resolved myself to the fact that this sorry state of my life was my lot in life. But grace flowed in again to give me the courage to accept that if I wanted my life to change, then I had to change my life (i.e., no one or no thing was going to do it for me). When I began working with a Life Coach in 2007, I began to accept and be willing to take responsibility for my life.

Fear was ever-present throughout the transformation; but so was grace. I reached a point in the transformation that the fear of change was less than the fear of staying the same. It was at that grace-filled moment that I knew change was possible. Even after releasing myself from Corporate Canada in August 2009, and jettisoning a way of life, the fear remained. But again, grace showed the way.

I surrendered to life. I can remember lying in bed, trembling with fear… “What am I going to do now!?” I was out of work (for the first time in my life!). I had no solid leads on a new job. It felt like I was afloat in the middle of the ocean with no sight of shore. The boat I was in felt very small and not particularly sea-worthy! But I would lullaby myself to sleep each night with the words… “Thy will be done. You have me now. Guide me where you would have me be.”

As the days, months and years unfolded, change slowly and gradually occurred. And as the days, month and years unfolded, I came to trust more in life. I was able to trust more in life because grace was walking along side me. I was able to tune in more to grace’s divine-filled presence and allow it to guide me. The result was fewer difficulties, challenges, struggles, guilt or burdens.

Robert Meagher has been ordained as an Interfaith Minister and certified as a Sacred Attention Therapy (SAT) Therapist. Robert is the Founder and Spiritual Director for Spiritual Guidance and Co-Founder of the Center for Human Awakening.