How Big is Your Love?

“Only if one knows the truth of love, which is the real nature of Self, will the strong entangled knot of life be untied. 

Only if one attains the height of love will liberation be attained.  Such is the heart of all religions. 

The experience of Self is only love, which is seeing only love, hearing only love, feeling only love, tasting only love and smelling only love, which is bliss.”  – Ramana Maharshi

I am coming to realize that there is quit a difference between being in Love and being Love.  As we move along in our life and live from the truth of who we really are, there is a distinct difference that begins to show up in our relating with one another at all levels of relationships.  Have you noticed?

In Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s love poem, she has stated something very profound with regard to the truth about Love … “I love thee to the depth and breadth my soul can reach, when reeling out of sight for the ends of Being and ideal Grace.” … Wow, how big is that? 

I want to tell you a story.  It was years ago, right after my father passed, and the family was together in his home consoling each other.  My niece, who was only six at the time, opened up to me and shared how sad she was to lose her Grandpa.  This is how it came up to be with her ...

I asked her, “Sweetie, how big are you?”  She pointed to her body and said, “As big as this.”  I said, “You’re bigger than that.  Close your eyes and see.”  She did and quickly opened them saying with surprise, “Oh, I’m as big as this room!”  I responded,  “You’re bigger than that.”  Again, she closed her eyes to see.  After a moment she opened them and said excitedly,  “I’m as big as the whole universe!!”  “Yes, darling, that’s how big you are.  Now, let’s look from here at your ‘sad’.”  She closed her eyes and then opened them with,  “It just went pop!!”  The whole day she was going around to everyone in the family and comforting them from this place of pure innocent Love, sharing from a genuine feeling of it’s all ok.

When our Love is this big, is there anything that can snag us or upset us?

So, back to … what is the difference between being in Love and being Love?

If we are in love with someone or some thing is our love big enough to allow that person to have the absolute open space to do whatever life is calling them to do or be?  Is our love big enough to accept the loss of a loved one and be able to comfort those around us?  Is our love big enough to be open to the infinite possibilities that are available in every moment of now?  Is our love big enough to follow our calling even though we have never had any experience or familiarity with what it is calling us to accomplish?

If we are in Love, are we not having preferences and maybe even fear coming up about losing the object of our Love?   Something unforeseen could come up that could inhibit this good feeling of Love from pouring out of us toward him, or her; it or them.   

If we are simply, being Love, as my niece discovered, doesn’t it feel like we are, “As big as the whole universe!”?   This realization opens up a whole new vista of being with each other.  We are “feeding each other’s rivers,” as my teacher called it.  There is no limitation placed on what is happening in the moment.  We allow Life to take its natural course for our self and our loved ones.

What I’m sharing, I’ve discovered, is not something that comes natural with having a body-mind and all of its preferences for this and that.  For me, it is similar to what it felt like when nursing my child and the basic need for this body, at that time, was for the child to receive this milk that was coming through in an abundance.  We have a natural tendency with this body-mind to want to pour out this Love that we are and to have someone or some purpose to share it with. 

Once we realize the bigness of this Love that we are, the space opens to being Love.  It’s like a rose that blooms and it doesn’t really look for anyone to enjoy its fragrance, it simply blooms and exudes its aroma, naturally.  And, whoever is there to enjoy it, fine, and whoever is not there, that’s fine too.  It is simply ok to just be love-ly.  :0)

The Story People sent this to me while I was writing this …

(www.storypeople.com)

So, how big is your Love, my sweet friend?  It’s a moment to moment checking in to see, isn’t it?

Loving you, simply as you ARE,

Elizabeth