Are You A Child Of God?

Now don't think I'm going to get all religious on you. Or, maybe I am.

I'm participating in a group coaching class led by Gabrielle Bernstein this month. And she said something to one of the class members that touched me to my core. She said, "You are a child of God." What she meant by "God" was L-O-V-E - the loving energy that flows through us and through this world, the energy that is accessible even during our most fearful moments. I beamed when I heard this. It felt so right, like settling into my skin and into myself. It momentarily lifted any weight I had been carrying in that instance.

Now whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs may be, whatever your definition of "God" may be, think about this for just a moment. Just one, single moment is all I ask. What comes to mind when you hear this? What does it conjure up or evoke? Why?

I thought about all the ways in which our own parents did us "right" and did us "wrong" - based on our perceptions of an ideal upbringing - which we use as a barometer of what to do or not to do when raising our own kids (so I've heard). Whether or not their behavior was intentional, we all have certain experiences that feel traumatic that we often carry with us throughout our lives. And we even go so far as to recreate them with others so that we can work through and heal them.

And because of these experiences, which we're all still working through, I felt liberated when I heard this. I may have been born to my parents, but they did their part. They loved me, clothed me, fed me, gave me shelter and a pretty cool sister too. But who I became as a result of their love, fear, approval or disapproval is not who I am destined to be for good. And who I'm becoming is not a result of anyone person, people, things, etc. in my life.

Of course these people or things might give me a leg up or down depending on my circumstances or perception. But, they don't define me for life. Because I realized in that one moment that I too am a child of God. I too am a child of the collective consciousness, loving energy, that I consider my definition of "God." I too can tap into this whenever I feel like it, whenever I'm feeling down or uncomfortable. It's right there for the taking. It's right there so I can be guided.