Chelsea knelt down in prayer. "My Lord, I desire to draw closer to you this Advent season. I don't want to just repeat what I did last year. Sometimes I feel like I am not fully awake to Your Presence. How can I better prepare for Your coming this year?" Chelsea resisted the temptation to continue speaking. She cleared her mind and waited for a response. Moments of silence passed.
"Ask your guardian angel to help you prepare," was the thought she heard.
Chelsea wondered how she might do this? She turned her attention to her invisible angel and said, "Please my angelic friend, help me prepare for the coming of Christ." Nothing happened immediately. Chelsea finished her prayers and then crawled into bed. She closed her eyes and fell asleep within minutes. An hour later Chelsea found herself walking into the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. She had never seen plants and flowers like this before. Their vibrant colors were indescribable. The flower petals felt like velvet and the blades of grass felt like silk. Exotic birds rested in amazing flowering trees. Each step forward led to another incredible discovery. The air gently blew around her with a hint of honeysuckle and orchids. A flowing turquoise river tumbled down a granite mountain misting the air with refreshing peaceful energy. Chelsea sat down near the river. She placed her hand on her heart expecting to touch the love she felt, while listening to a beautiful song of praise being sung from the mountaintop. It was the most joyful moment of her life. She wondered if she had died and gone to heaven.
Just then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Do you not recognize where you are?" asked a voice.
"I'm sure I would remember being in such an incredible place," Chelsea answered.
"You are inside your soul the day God made you."
" I was made with this much love and beauty?"
"Yes."
"Does my soul still look like this?"
Silence. "The beauty of your soul is up to you. The more you are open to God's love, the more beautiful it becomes. Be open to God, but guard yourself from what is not. God's love is unlimited. He can restore and heal everything."
Chelsea awoke the next morning remembering everything. She realized that God's love was even more incredible than she had ever imagined. She thought deeply for a minute, and then got down on her knees. "Lord restore my soul to its former beauty. Help me to guard myself against any damaging habits. Help me to be open to new possibilities." Chelsea spent the next week very consciously choosing to make changes in her life. She was no longer willing to risk injuring the beauty of her soul with unthoughtful habits.
-Susan
