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Connecting with the Divine — December 2008

by Arleen Hannich | Email me if you questions or comments | Back to List of Articles

Designing Your Divine

In August, I invited you to begin looking at and enlivening your relationship with the Divine. This month, I invite you to deepen that process by looking at the Divine you have designed for you and your life.

You may not think of the Divine as being designed by you, but when you consider all the input you’ve received your entire life on the subject, from all the different sources of information (including family, friends, teachers, clergy, society in general), how could you not process all that input in your own unique way? If you sat in a room with hundreds, thousands, or even a million other people, what are the chances that even two of you would have the same perception of the Divine? I think the answer is none!

So some of you have already jumped ahead of me and are getting excited because you realize that if you designed your current Divine, you can design a newer, “better-for-you” version! Yes, you can, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves--we need to start where we are. So this month, take some time to become aware of the Divine you have already created.

I am going to provide you some questions to help you get started. Answer those that call out to you, or answer all of them. For some of you, it will be easy to answer these questions. Some of you may find it more difficult to quantify your Divine and the relationship you have. It’s all OK. Just be with whatever comes up for you. If you would like to use another medium (besides writing) to express your thoughts or impressions, feel free to do whatever works best for you.

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions--this process is one of exploration and discovery. I encourage you to use your responses as seeds for further insight. Through this new focus on your relationship with the Divine, allow yourself to notice if your day-to-day thoughts, words, decisions, and/or actions are congruent with the responses you give to these questions. Take note of any discrepancies.

Here’s the fun part: once you begin to ponder these questions, know that you have set the wheels of the universe in motion! Start paying more attention to your life in general. Answers and new insights may come to you from a variety of sources--things you hear on TV or the radio, comments from others you hear or overhear, bumper stickers or billboards, anything!

If you enjoy watching your dreams, pay extra attention to those as well once you start this process. It took me a couple weeks to become aware of it, but after I started writing this month’s column, I had a dream that showed me that I: still have a lot of fear, call on my Divine (in a big way), sometimes perceive that I am receiving no assistance whatsoever, and then feel overwhelmed. A wonderful dose of reality in a very short dream!

Let’s get started now. Here are some questions for you to consider. Which ones catch your eye and your heart?

1. As a child, what were you taught about the Divine?
2. What type of relationship did your parents/guardians have with the Divine?
3. Did you have a relationship with the Divine as a child? What did it look like? Feel like? Sound like?
4. Does the Divine want to help and support you? About how old were you when you decided on this answer?
5. Are there certain events in your life you associate with the Divine? If so, what are they?
6. Do you hold any grudges against the Divine? Does the Divine hold any grudges against you?
7. Are there qualities or activities you consider holy or Divine? Are there qualities you consider not to be holy or Divine? Do you have any of these qualities?
8. Does the Divine love you right now? If not, when will the Divine love you? What will make the difference?
9. Do you love the Divine? If not, is there something that will ‘happen” that will cause you or allow you to love the Divine?
10. Do you communicate with the Divine today? How? What does it look like? Feel like? When does it occur? Do you need to do anything special to hear the Divine?
11. What kind of role does the Divine play in your life? Father, mother, teacher, partner, healer, rescuer, guide, disciplinarian, coach, cheerleader, judge and jury all rolled into one, all of the above, or (fill in the blank)?
12. What, if anything, causes you to feel separate from your Divine?
13. Does your Divine test you? When? How do you know if you pass or fail the test?
14. Does the Divine depend on you to do something? Does the Divine depend on you to be something? If so, how do you feel about that?
15. How approachable is your Divine? Is the Divine warm and inviting, aloof and disinterested, or (fill in the blank)?
16. Does the Divine have laws? Do you choose, or have you chosen, to break any of these laws? Are there repercussions?
17. Is the Divine with you always, or do you need to call on the Divine? If you need to call on the Divine, does the Divine come gladly, or do you need to bribe or cajole the Divine?
18. Does the Divine give you gifts? Do you welcome those gifts? Do you ever fear them?
19. Does the Divine send you messages? Are they clear, convoluted, or (fill in the blank)?
20. What problems can you take to the Divine? What problems, if any, are strictly off-limits?
21. Does your Divine have a sense of humor? What does the Divine find funny?

What questions haven’t I asked that would help you better understand your relationship with the Divine? After you explore the questions you create, if you’re willing to share them with me, I would love to hear them.

If you would like to share your discoveries with someone, I would be happy to be your sounding board. Perhaps, like me, you’ve found that when you share your experiences, you gain deeper insights. To email me, just use the link at the top of the page.

I wish you much joy as you discover your own unique relationship with the Divine.

by Arleen Hannich | Email me if you questions or comments | Back to List of Articles