Snapshots
Snapshots
guest post by Richard Bingman
I consider my life a spiritual journey. Like many journeys there are critical times when I need help. I describe these times as snapshots, of what is required to give me energy to move ahead.
Snapshot One: In the hot summer of 1934, I was a six-year-old child living in a rural area of Southwest MO. I was the only child living in my neighborhood. It was during the Depression, and my parents had to work hard. I was too young to help, and they were too busy to notice that I needed attention.
Frank McRae was our mail carrier. He delivered to our mail box, quite some distance from our house. I liked to receive the mail, but I was more anxious to meet my friend. When I saw a cloud of dust trailing a car coming down the road, I knew it was probably him, and I would run as fast as I could to the mail box, often stubbing my toes on rocks enroute. I am sure that I was an imposing six- year-old freckled faced boy, wearing patched overalls, an old straw hat, and barefooted. In my excitement I did not realize that there were more rocks in that driveway, than I had toes.
Frank would drive up in his Ford V-8 sedan and greet me by saying “young man”. That made me feel very important. Then, he would really make me feel important when he would shut the engine off and talk with me for a few minutes. He would look at my injured toes and tell me not to run so fast next time. He would wait for me. Then, he would leave, telling me that he looked forward to seeing me, tomorrow. All of this special attention empowered me to face an uncertain future.
This empowerment persisted for many years, but eventually I found myself making inconsistent decisions in a world of competition among ideas of career, education, family life etc. My bad times were overcoming my good ones, and the energy developed during my boyhood was running low. I needed and received help in an interesting way.
Snapshot Two: I loved to read, and I came across a story that matched my needs. Two cowboys were close friends working on a cattle drive in Montana. One of them became ill and passed away. Before his passing he asked, and his friend agreed, to return his remains to his home state of Texas. He had no known relatives, and his friend loaded his friend’s coffin into a horse drawn wagon and left for Houston, Texas, 2000 miles away. He had many problems with the weather, wagon wheels, lame horses and even a flood in which the coffin washed out of the wagon and was almost lost. Persons along the way advised him to bury his friend anywhere, as nobody would know, and he could return to his job in Montana. However, he persisted, kept his promise, and completed his mission by burying his friends remains in the proper cemetery. He expected to return to Montana, but his story resulted in his being offered a much better job in Texas, and he never returned home.
By reading this story I received energy and became more aware of my real need to keep my word. Also, I should choose a course of action and stick with it and something good would eventually happen.
Finally, something occurred that “restored ” my soul. There was a small voice from within, letting me know that extra assistance was available to keep on course. I was able to consistently reach my goals, but needed extra assistance to connect them in unified fashion.
Snapshot Three: A friend introduced me to the Unity Spiritual Center, Springfield, Mo. It has been through the teachings of Unity that I have been able to interrelate all of my ideas, beliefs, processes and conclusions into a unified divine whole. This gives me energy and provides a solid basis for being receptive to new ideas, such as those provided on Artistic Creativity by Unity Arts Ministry’s founder Rev. Jen Hutchins. My life continues, and my heart and mind are open to unlimited possibilities.
“Ask and it will be given you; search and you will find; know and the door will be opened,” Luke 11:9.
Author Bio: Dr. Richard Bingman is a member of the Springfield, Mo. Unity Spiritual Center. He has had a long professional interest and experience in creating programs and articles of an educational and spiritual nature. During the past ten years he has developed his style of blending bits of his life experience with spiritual principles to create a spiritual message.
About Our Featured Guests: Unity Arts Ministry is proud to provide an outlet for emerging artists from all walks of life and all creative disciplines. We encourage creative expression as a means for exploring spiritual themes and as spiritual practice.
