My Own Spiritual Journey Part 2: Apples, Spirits and God

One thing I have learned throughout my short time on this earth is that everyone I have met has had some sort of spiritual experience and that each persons experience is just a little bit different or sometimes a lot different then everyone else's. I chalked this up to the idea that each person's spiritual experience is understood from their own unique understanding and perspective.

What I mean by this is simply understood by looking at an ordinary apple. If I placed an apple on a table in the middle of a room of 20 people and asked everyone individually to write down what they saw, I would assume that the common answer among all the descriptions would be that they all saw an apple. However, some people may focus more on the color and shape of the apple; others may notice the markings, dents and bruises. Still a couple may see the patterns in the color itself or even how it sits on the table and what the table itself looks like. Perhaps even one or two may consider what they can't see and describe what the apple might look like inside, according to what they have experienced by eating apples in the past.

Each person will have a slightly or vastly different perspective of the apple mainly due to their own experiences with life itself and how they see the world around them. Well the same idea can be applied to spiritual experiences. Some people may view them as just an apple, maybe a simple answer to prayer or a peaceful feeling when they are thinking of someone special. Or others may view them as the outside and inside of the apple with all the details of what they can see and cannot; perhaps due to seeing spirits themselves, having intense dreams and visions or even premonitions of future events. All are spiritual experiences but just differ in how they might be understood because of who is experiencing them and what they understand the experience should look like.

The more I come to understand these differences, the better I understand how to answer people when they share their own personal experiences; and the deeper I understand the relationship that God intended us to have with Him. Often we view God as just an apple and when we first realize He is there, we admire Him only from our perspective and figure He is only an apple and there are many other apples, so what's so special about Him. Sometimes people even treat God like a precious golden apple that can never be touched or known but only worshiped and revered.

However, God created us as spiritual beings with unique life experiences so that we can view Him and all He created as something special and a little different then everyone else, so when we share our experiences with others they learn and are enriched by gaining a relationship with us. In essence God wants us to notice all the little details there are not only in His surface, but also by looking inside the apple that is God and getting to know all of Him.

Yes, I understand that to some the idea of cutting an apple open to look inside it then comparing that to God may not be the best analogy, but the point is to stop being so afraid of getting close to God and looking at him as an untouchable apple only to be viewed; but to start looking closer at Him and the relationship He wants us to have with Him. If God is a spiritual being and we are created to be spiritual beings and most if not all of us have had spiritual experiences, then wouldn't it make sense to learn why God designed us this way and perhaps build a relationship with Him rather than just a religion?

In my own spiritual journey, I have learned that there is so much more I still need to learn. With seeing angels, spirits and demons; experiencing crazy and intensely spiritual dreams and visions;  dealing with religious ideals; and, seeking to understand who God is, the one thing I know for sure is that God wants me to know Him personally, inside and out. With the parts I can't understand or see yet He wants me to imagine what can be there, just like the inside of the apple, rather then pretend it doesn't exist yet just because I can't understand or see it.

With all the judgement and criticism I have received when trying to ask questions about my own spiritual experiences by some who are religious and some who are not, God has taught me to keep an open mind and listen rather than try to discount what others have been through just because I may not have experienced what they have. After all, maybe their unique spiritual experiences and their own encounters with God can teach me something more about who God is and encourage me to realize just how much we all are connected to one another.

The Spirits of Malachai's

Several people have commented to me about how they can relate so much to the main character, "Malachai", from the book, but wanted to know more details about what the different spirits are that he sees.

In my original drafts I had added much more detail, but due to space limits with the book much had been cut out. So I figure this blog would be a great chance to expand a bit more on some of these subjects.

As a young child Malachai saw three very different types of spirits, the first type was very human like and familiar; the second was more peaceful but purposeful; the third was very direct and intimidating, taking less interest in him and more in their own agenda.

Human Like Spirit

The gentler human like spirits are probably the most controversial ones with Christian realms simply because they do not fit with in angel or demon borders. For Malachai anytime he tried to share about his conversations with these spirits to others, he met with a lot of disbelief. For him they were just other human beings that seemed invisible to everyone else. As he found out over time, they were people others knew that had passed away and had chosen to speak with Malachai to pass messages on to their loved ones. The messages were always ones that tried to help people deal with hurts, guilt, doubts and lies about themselves, in order to help that person find hope and move on to living their lives once again.

Peaceful Spirits

For Malachai, the peaceful spirits were definitely more spiritual in nature. They had a brighter glow surrounding them and an energy of life and hope that seemed to flow from within them. They had an imagine of a human like person with in a brightness but were definitely not like everyone else around Malachai. They always came to Malachai when he was feeling alone and sad or simply tired of the judgement and doubts from others. For Malachai, they became his greatest source of encouragement and belief, because they believed in him. When they had a message for others that they wanted Malachai to deliver, it was always one of hope for that person and to remind them of who they really are inside and that they have a purpose for God if they would only believe. Their words were often direct and to the point helping people get passed their fears, doubts and hurt, if they were willing to listen and choose to follow what they said.

The Intimidating Spirits

The third type of spirit that Malachai encountered became the most dominating one of all. These spirits had a darkness that seemed to surround them, sometimes it was like a fog, other times just a light haze; and as Malachai came to know them better it was often a blackness that flowed from within them. Like the peaceful Spirits some of them had an almost human like image, but these spirits almost seemed to wear this image like a mask to cover up something deeper within them. When they came to speak with Malachai they almost wanted something from him. Sometimes is was Malachai's trust, loyalty, obedience or abilities. Other times it was for Malachai to deliver a message to other people in order to put them in their place or remind them of their past mistakes or hurt. These spirits always seemed to be on Malachai's side and reminded him how much they were there to help him, but something about these spirits made Malachai uneasy inside and concerned about their true intentions. The problem was that they also made Malachai feel important and powerful; like he had a purpose once again. As a result Malachai liked to listen to them and hear what they had to say.

When Malachai was younger each of these types of spirits were there for him and seemed to care about him; but as he grew older he began to see them all more truthfully and that the Intimidating Spirits came in many different forms and varying purposes then what he first understood. However, that can be a discussion for another blog.