"I pray for those with [or, in] me ... for those whom You have given me, for they are Yours.  All those mine are Yours, and Yours are mine.  I Am honored in them....  Sacred One, preserve them in your Presence[or, Being]  ... that they may remain in union - One - even as we are in union - One -...."
 
*Jesus, Jn 17.9-11

Very often one [soul friend] will be able to know what is going on in the heart of the other, even without words.  Effective intercession in prayer is possible at the level of union, for there are no barriers of distrust or fear. ...  As confidence develops in the unconditional love of such a [spiritual] friend, previous fears of rejection and abandonment begin to diminish.  Rebirth may be the best word to describe the transformation, for the love received is truly like water irrigating the soil from which will come the flower: the true self as originally envisaged by God ....  Hidden talents begin to emerge in the new atmosphere of loving reverence built up by spiritual union.  "[Union] ... providing moments of timelessness, a feeling of being lifted up above all time and pure wonder, saturated with love.  This happens most during times of prayer together."
 
*Ronda Chervin.  Spiritual Friendship.

Today, I realize, more than ever
Whom I choose in the inner sanctum of my Heart
To be with me as a True Friend
Is a very important decision and
I cannot give over that choice to anyone else

While I keep growing to love everyone
And practice compassion and non-harming
I wisely choose who will meet with me
Around the Inner Fire
And share the glow, warmth, and subtle thoughts with me

While I say “I wisely choose”
As I get closer to God
Grace seems to choose for me
Bring some persons close to me
Keep others away from the Inner Fire

As though God is taking care of me
For the evolution of my soul on earth
And fulfilling my life Purpose

This means a higher Logic to the loss of some friends
And a like Purpose for the gift of some friends

But, still, I play a key role in cooperating with God
Especially, by taking care of myself spiritually
Then, I seem to become like a magnet with a higher frequency

Attracting into my life True Friends
Persons who, likewise, are at that higher frequency
Of faith, hope, and love

I realize that I can only invite
And some persons may not be ready
Or they may not be destined to be with me There

My heart may break at times over not fellowshipping
Deeply with someone I long to share that with
But freewill is essential in True Friendship and
The joy is knowing those with me deeply are there
Because they, too, have joined with Love
to choose my friendship for the evolution of their souls on earth

In fact, some persons will invite me
And we will be surprised at how our hearts
Resonate with each other, like strings on a violin
Playing the same inner music of mind and affections

When we are around each other, we will feel this
And know that Destiny has brought us together
For a Sacred Purpose beyond our understanding
But we will feel this Deep Peace, verifying this

And we will sense each other’s soul, when together
And when apart: Love will flow between us, that deeply
There will be no time
No Distance
Between us

I think on this, in regard to the levels of soul
Taught by the Mystics, and I realize
I will draw into my life persons who reflect
The awareness of my soul: so my close friends will be
Mirrors to me of where I am at on the Journey

The less developed my soul
The more fear will decide my friendships
The more developed my soul
The more Love will decide my friendships

For like attracts like
This is a universal spiritual principle
So, daily, I nurture Love and loving

While I do this, the right persons, as Friends
Will appear before me, without much effort

Being at the level of Nefesh, animal life:
Basic material needs will decide whom
I draw close to me

Being at the level of Ruach, feeling life:
Having emotional-sensory appetites met will decide whom
I draw close to me

Being at the level of Neshama, conscious, moral, human awareness:
Virtuous-Intelligence will decide whom
I draw close to me

Being at the level of Chayah, or dual consciousness of the Sacred
My need to appreciate oneness with others, with creation,
And fellowship with the Creator Spirit will decide whom
I draw close to me

Being at the level of Yehidah, or Non-Dual Union with All
The bliss of Union, in the other, the other in me,
Awareness that transcends our sense of
Being with each other will decide whom
I draw close to me

This Love, then, will most challenge me
Bring me to my knees before Christ
to love with reverential Love
to know Love, in God, not in my self alone
to know God, in Her, not in her self alone

I realize, thinking on these matters
That I seek all the above
Correspondences to all
Aspects of my being

I need food, clothing, shelter
Like everyone else

I have sensate-emotional needs
Like laughter, sexual satisfaction, enjoying comedy
On TV, going to a movie and eating popcorn, listening
To some music that lifts my body to pleasure

I seek to live morally upright and develop intelligence
Learning new things, reading books to educate myself
And practicing behaviors of self-respect and dignity,
Reflecting balance and temperance in all things

I enjoy that higher sensation
Of feeling communion with others and Nature
Like when spending hours talking to someone
And time seems to stop and we feel like all need of sleep
Or getting anywhere else has left, no longer matters

I long, too, for that one or few with
Whom I can enjoy that deepest Fellowship, when
We are no longer together beside that Inner Fire,
We are in the Fire, as One, Together

In which we cease to be separate, not from merging of egos, in some dependency or lust sexually, but from sharing so deeply with the Spirit that we are, at times, together, forgetful of our being other, and we become One, for we are both ready to be at that level with God and each other, at least for a few moments of unspeakable self-forgetfulness, bliss, and Mystery

So, today

I close my eyes and relax
I go to a beautiful place
A meadow
I picture Her and feel the place
I explore the scene

Looking and feeling
With all the senses

I remain silent, feeling the atmosphere
Letting it slowly pour into me, through every pore of my body
Then, in my spirit, I invite Her

When She arrives, I seek to listen with my Heart of hearts
Informing me
Thanking me
Asking me a question
Requesting forgiveness
Asking for reconciliation

Possibly, the Friend will
Want to be held

Or to cry with me
Or to laugh with me
Or to dance with me …

Or give me a gift… If so,
How does the gift symbolize the friendship?

Or ask me a question
What answer arises?

I consider how this precious Person is Gift to me
I thank Her for that

Before She leaves
I hold Her hand in mine
Look into Her eyes
Say, “I Love You” and “I Thank God for You”

Now, I stand alone, again
After meeting with my dear Friend:
I pray to God

As invisible
Or through any angelic Presence that might meet me here
Or through a Great Teacher or Jesus Christ, my Best Friend

I let God know

How I am feeling in the moment about the Friend
I pray for Her
I ask that God will enrich the friendship we share
To give grace for me to ask Her to forgive me
if ever I hurt Her in any way

I pray for God to help
In keeping in my life this Friend
And for She and I to deepen the friendship over time
Keeping Love as the bond that holds us together

I ask God to bring to us other Friends we need
And who need us, for the evolution of our souls
On this earth and the healing of the earth

When I am ready
I leave the meadow
Grateful for my Friend
More aware of how precious this Companion is
More resolved to be a thoughtful sharer with her

More ready to evolve my soul to more Wholeness
Attracting to me the friends who, likewise, are
Evolving their souls, through grace, in a similar way
So our friendships can create for each other a more fulfilling
Life and help heal the world

God, thank you
for this Friend

1)Whom has God placed in your life as a dear, spiritual Friend? What have they given you? … are giving you? ... you giving them?

2)Whom do you know who is not a Friend, but you would like to initiate such a friendship with? How can you begin that process?

3)Do you need to forgive a Friend? Ask forgiveness? Seek reconciliation? Alter a friendship so both your needs will be better met?

4)Possibly, you might realize that you cannot grow on with a Friend unless you do some “energy” repairs from your past or present. You may be able to do this work alone? Or, you may need a dear friend to help, or a Spiritual Director. To do some of this “repair” work, you may need a spiritual person who can empathically, without taking sides, gently guide the process: but friendships are too dear not to seek this kind of help, if that might help save the friendship.

5)Is there a spiritual friendship that needs to become more spiritually-oriented (relationship problems can develop as a sign that both souls are being drawn to experience Love in deeper ways — so, relationship “problems” may be a sign from the soul): to meditate with, pray with, or go to worship with, possibly engage in some service to the community side-by-side?

6)If you are in a crisis, for a brief time or a long time, you may need to be vulnerable enough to let a Friend share that with you, even though a part of you wants to protect your Friend from your pain. True Friends will share your suffering and joy with you, and will want to share it with you, for True Friends are God-ly to you. Let them be, for that is one reason your souls were drawn in God to such closeness and deepening heart Love.

7)And, remember this universal, spiritual law, or principle: In some way, we are all here for a Purpose, and we all need others to help us fulfill it. We can never do it alone; in fact, one aspect of the Purpose is to draw us closer together in our seeking to fulfill the Purpose. Love is the over-all and final Purpose in all Purposes. In Love all is summed up in perfection.

*OneLife Ministries is a ministry of Brian Kenneth Wilcox, SW Florida. Brian lives a vowed life and with his two dogs, Bandit Ty and St. Francis, with friends and under a vow of simplicity. Brian is an ecumenical-interspiritual leader, who chooses not to identify with any group, and renounces all titles of sacredness that some would apply to him, but seeks to be open to how Christ manifests in the diversity of Christian denominations and varied religious-spiritual traditions. He affirms that all spiritual paths lead ultimately back to Jesus Christ. He is Senior Chaplain for the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, Punta Gorda, FL.

*Brian welcomes responses to his writings or submission of prayer requests at briankwilcox@yahoo.com . Also, Brian is on Facebook: search Brian Kenneth Wilcox.

*Contact the above email to book Brian for preaching, Spiritual Direction, retreats, workshops, animal blessing services, house blessings, or other spiritual requests. You can order his book An Ache for Union from major booksellers.