Ascension Attitude: 'Praise'

'Praise'

by Almine

As a child, I had a fear of heights. When on the high rides of the carnival or perched in our mulberrytree, I found that I could overcome it by focusing on the far horizon. By slightly altering the focus of my eyes, the dizzy heights became friendlier.

Praise is an attitude that focuses on the distant vistas and allows itself to enjoy the breathtaking view. It acknowledges that there is an unpaid bill, but focuses instead on the nurturing and abundant supply that flows to one who trusts in it. It does not disassociate from the cares of today, but rather sees them in their true context as harbingers of growth.

Praise is an attitude of thoughts raised heavenward, nowhere better illustrated than the story of Christ walking on the water as told in the New Testament. He did not focus on the stormy seas, but steadfastly kept his focus on indwelling life rather than form. The disciple Peter on the other hand, who wished to walk on thewater also, saw the billowing waves and the high winds and sank beneath the water. The Master had to reach forth his hand and save him. The Christ lived in a state of praise, Peter did not.

States of praise have been employed for eons by those made holy by association. As an ascension attitude, it needs to be tempered by experience. It is not enough to withdraw from life to spend our days singing songs of praise to God. We are here first and foremost to explore the unknown and any attempt at escaping what we have undertaken to do, carries with it a penalty. To shirk our duty and highest calling in favor of retreating into ecstatic states of praise yields a form of praise that is not tested and strong.

That which has been sheltered is seldom robust, for it has not been honed by experience nor polishedto a high luster by adversity. It is easy to feel praise in the hallowed sanctuary, but can we find the perfection hidden behind the appearances in the time-ravaged faces of the beggars lining a city street?

There is no redundancy in the cosmos. If there is a beggar in the street, there is also the need for him to be there. Is it the result of his consistently avoiding his next step that such painful forced change is his lot, or is it perhaps that he is solving a profound portion of the mystery of beingness that requires such a drastic mirror of that which God is not? It could be that a great master has undertaken to play this role to either shed light where there is despair or to give us the opportunity for compassionate understanding. Whatever the reason may be, there will be ample cause for praise if we change our focus from appearances to indwelling life.

Praise fills the cells with light and our footsteps become a blessing to the earth. 

All life we touch responds with increased growth to such a life affirming frequency. Filled with praise, we also become filled with increased light and life force, and then in the twinkling of an eye, the lightning flash of immortality changes us into an Ascended Master.