A silent truth-thud landed in my heart. It was time to move on. An opportunity to serve as a bridge between Japan and America was present. I speak, read and write Japanese. (Frame of Reference: I was in the top percentile of level 3 Japanese language proficiency tests. My friend, Kyoto resident, Steve Beimel would easily pass level 1 exams reserved for scholars.)
Offer Letter signed and submitted, I showed up to work. Eager to prove that I was a good pick, I poured over my predecessor’s e-mails and company how-tos in Japanese. Translating kanji (Chinese characters) takes an extra minute or two or ten.
The start of any job includes information overload and overwhelm. If it were only Executive Assistant duties, the challenges might have decreased. However, Research Assistant was also tacked onto the job description. The company specializes in scientific studies. Oy vey! (That’s Japanese for OMG what was I thinking?)
On top of the learning curve (read making mistakes), the inner critic insisted on my attention. Due to distance and schedule conflicts, I’d said sayonara to my longtime therapist, so two weeks later I was sprawled out on the couch staring at the TV. Singer, Jennifer Hudson materialized belting out “I need a hand.” Major waterworks surfaced from my eyes.
My beloved teacher, John-Roger, Founder of MSIA (Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness) has passed from this world. However, that night, in my dreams, he literally stretched out his hand from the other side.
Emboldened and feeling embraced in love, I walked into work with a smile on my face. One of the researchers thanked me for checking out submission procedures for a project. She also super politely insisted that I confirm some information. Fair enough. Although how was I to find clarity in the tangle of confusing online info? The numbers I’d called previously said, “Go to our website dummy!” or “We’re out at a convention, good luck!” Not the exact words but pretty close.
When in desperation I hit my knees in prayer. Or if in public, quietly place people and situations in the Light for the Highest Good. Asking for guidance from Heaven, I thumbed through pages of government officials and departments; I selected several numbers. On each voicemail, a plea for a return call was made. I also dialed the director of one of the departments. I swear the message machine said, “This is John Morton.” Hmmm. The Spiritual Director of MSIA is also named John Morton. His other title is The Blessings Man. (One of my favorite John Morton quotes is, “Be careful what you judge as something other than a blessing in your life.”)
In the next hour, I received 3 phone calls. The first one directed me to a second darling man. After a bit of back and forth, the angel concurred that maybe the web did not hold all the answers. He gifted me with the missing piece the researcher required. (Sorry if I’m vague with details; I’ve signed an NDA – nondisclosure agreement.) Next, John Morton from the government telephoned and seemed sincerely pleased all was well.
Pure coincidence? Don’t think so. Coupled with the dream where John-Roger stretched out his hand from Spirit, the phone call reawakened my faith. The presence of a loving creator is not fantasy; it’s reality! God is an awesome listener who knows how to communicate with great love.
MSIA’s practical spiritual teachings have always seen me through. Maybe I just need to continue doing my spiritual exercises (a meditation of sorts) in my car at noon. Keep fanning the flames of gratitude and look for the blessings. And repeat – as needed – a popular MSIA quote, “God never gives you more than you can handle.”
