Gordon and I were thankful that we could attend the Living Beyond Disease retreat, Feb 20-22, held by Michele Longo O’Donnell, at the beautiful Mo Ranch in Hunt, Texas, in the Hill Country of central Texas.
Michele told many stories to illustrate how all this works, and why some folks get healed and then die anyway. Michele’s Holistic Health Care Center typically ‘loses’ only 1 person a year (what an incredible record, especially considering that many of the patients are ‘terminally’ ill when they arrive).
But 2008 was a hard year for her because they lost about 4. One was a young baby who was at death’s door with a few days to live when she arrived. Michele saved her life and got her back to normal. But, when the parents returned home, their priest told them their baby had to pay for the sins of the parents. The baby was healthy when she went to sleep that night, but she never woke up.
These kind of experiences are hard for Michele and the clinic staff, because they reinforce the truth that sickness is a learned experience that must be unlearned in order to live in the Life of God as He intends for us all.
The theme of the retreat was ‘Unspeakable Mercy’
The main truths that Michele taught:
1. Sin-consciousness produces separation from God, condemnation, unworthiness. Condemnation blocks us from receiving God’s mercy, grace and love.
If we have any judgment toward another, we are under our own condemnation. People who feel condemned or guilty, will judge or condemn others to ‘even the score’ so whether we are aware of it or not, judging others is a clear indicator that we feel guilty, condemned or unworthy of God’s love and grace.
Worthiness is not part of ‘the equation.’ Our worthiness is not the issue. Of course, we are not worthy! But, grace & mercy overrule our unworthiness. God never reacts to us based on our behavior. God’s Love is on both sides of the equation – He is both the giver and the recipient.
The Veil is rent when the sin-consciousness is done away with, and we have access to God’s Mercy, which covers the Law.
2. God-consciousness shows us who we are – made in the image of God. And, it shows us who God is – Love & Mercy. It allows mercy to flow to us.
The Kingdom of God/Heaven – is the perpetual reign of Goodness. Jesus said it was right here, right now, and we are supposed to be living in it each day.
It is impossible for Love to withhold itself from the object of it’s Love.
Although God is the only One Power, God never calls evil good. Many New Thought people as well as Christians believe that evil, struggle or affliction are part of God’s ‘blessing’ to shape our lives. But, this makes God the Author of evil or darkness. God has no part in evil or darkness. He has no consciousness of anything but Himself – Love. He has ultimate God-consciousness; and not sin-consciousness (separation from Himself). Darkness is not another power – it has absolutely no power. Evil or ‘bad’ things never serve God’s purposes. Evil or affliction is an appearance of darkness, and God is only light, which drives out darkness. ‘In Him is no darkness, or even a shadow’ but He is all-encompassing light.
We suffer any form of lack, or dis-ease only because we think we can (or should). Being afraid of imaginary monsters appearing in the dark shadows. God never uses any form of evil to accomplish His work; therefore, there is NO PLACE for suffering in God’s mind and intention.
3. Grace is the activity of Spirit on the human condition, without any assistance from man. ANY form of trying or striving to obtain, or to make us worthy, will surely block the free flow of Life. The harder I try to obtain ‘IT’ the more I am blocking it from me. It is hard for some of us to let go of the reigns and let ‘IT’ flow out from us.
(This was one of the hardest areas for me personally to grasp, simply because I want God’s Life revealed in my experience so bad, that I have been reading, listening, seeking and trying hard to ‘connect’ with God. But, I’m done with all that – I am realizing that it is in the stillness that God is present. And, I already HAVE the Life of God in me; I only need to let it flow instead of blocking it with condemnation and/or human efforts. – Gordon)
4. Mercy - is not the same as forgiveness. Forgiveness implies an offense, but Mercy never even ’sees’ or considers any offense. Again, worthiness is not part of the equation. Only Love is.
It is the will and purpose/intent of Mercy to reveal itself.
Never hesitate to go to God first to ask for help or wisdom, because you will never be ignored. We are sent here to be the heart of God – to heal, and to establish God’s Kingdom. Therefore, we can never NOT receive what we need to fulfill our purpose.
Condemnation is swallowed, or covered, by Mercy. Standing in the presence of God’s Mercy protects me from judgment and suffering of any kind.
Mercy supplies our needs. Supply is never based on worthiness, but always on God’s goodness and mercy.
5. Receptivity is the problem – our problem, not God’s.
“It is not God’s willingness to give/heal that is in question; but it is our willingness to receive.”
There is no such thing as ‘waiting on God’s timing’ because God (Love) cannot withhold. We can spend the rest of our life waiting, but only because we are unable to receive what is now present.
Condemnation (sin-consciousness) blocks our willingness or ability to receive mercy (or anything else) from God.
When I pray – believe I have received, and then stay in that receptive mode until the desired response is received. It WILL come, if we are still. Give room for Wisdom to determine how it will come, but never assume it is being withheld just because it may not come how we expect it to.
We must learn to trust God’s Love to always do what Love always does. No harm; no lack; no condemnation; no judgment ever comes from Love Itself. It is impossible for Love to deny Itself.
Our personal experience -
Thursday, we drove across 290 through Austin, to Fredericksburg, where we spent the night. The next day, we toured the Kerrville/Medina area before driving to Mo Ranch in the afternoon.
Friday, we went to bed with ‘I Am innocent‘ in our minds. Unworthiness and condemnation are the big blockers to Grace and Mercy. (It was so quiet out there in the middle of nowhere that we had to turn on the A/C fan to create some ‘white-noise’ so we could seep! It was too quiet for our city ears.)
Saturday, Michele ended the last session with an exercise in personally experiencing Mercy. We had to give ourselves permission to enter the ’space’ of mercy ALONE. Then, when that was done, we could ‘take others’ into God’s mercy. Gordon and I stood there hand-in-hand in the presence of God and His mercy (before the Mercy Seat, so to speak).
I slept all night Saturday night – the best I’ve slept in many years (and the bed was harder than I am used to).
Sunday, it was discovered that an attendee a few rooms down from us had died in her sleep. Melissa (Michele’s assistant) just covered the women with ‘a blanket of God’s mercy’. There was no laying on of hands, shouting, using the name of Jesus, or anything like that. All Melissa did was ‘cover’ this woman with God’s mercy, and the Life of God revealed itself. The woman sat up and started breathing. The sheriff was stunned, and the EMT’s were acting like – well, like EMT’s are trained to act. It was a vivid follow-up to our session the night before. Oneness is the real stuff!
At lunch Sunday, I cleaned my plate and drank a whole glass of lemonade. I have never eaten or slept better.
(a card given to everyone attending)
Quotes from Michele:
“When man ceases to accept suffering as from the hand of God, he will cease to experience it.”
“Remember, it is not God’s reluctance to heal that is in question; but, it is our willingness to receive.”
Thanks for sharing. This sounds like the “real thing”! I was delighted to hear that you ate and slept so well. How did you hear about this?
Thank you so much for such an inspirational synopsis. I wanted to attend, but was unable to, so I’m living it vicariously through the two of you.