Category: Healing From Chronic Pain And Illness

Have you ever met someone who seemed to exude nothing but positivity and joy, and when you were around them you simply just felt better? I recently was acquainted with a person exactly like this when I came into the good fortune of being able to take a small airplane ride over Lake Erie.

It all started with a good friend of mine from the town of Tiffin, who said he could arrange for my partner and I, as well as himself, to travel via plane to a local island on Lake Erie named Put-In-Bay. On the morning this all came to fruition, I was struggling to remain upbeat about this little trip, given how I felt with my health. In all honesty, it’s quite difficult for me to look forward to doing anything these days, but I certainly do my best to keep the faith and hope for the best.

So when my partner and I arrived at the tiny Seneca County Airport early on a Friday afternoon, I asked God for help and entered the waiting lounge. My friend was already there and quickly introduced us to Nevin, who would be our pilot for the day. From the onset, Nevin, who had recently turned 30 years old, greeted us with a huge smile and engaged us with warm and inviting conversation. On some level, I felt as if he was at that moment, living on the exact opposite side of the spectrum from where I was. I was glad for this though, as I didn’t think having a depressed pilot would be a good thing for any of us.

Upon entering the four passenger propeller-based plane outside, I sat up front in the co-pilot’s seat and proceeded to ask Nevin a barrage of questions about his job, what we were looking at once up in the sky, and everything in between. He made sure to answer every one of them, not once ever growing bored or irritable with any of them. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as you could really tell he was extremely happy with his career, of which he had been doing since the young age of 18.

When we landed on Put-In-Bay some twenty minutes later and acquired a golf cart to travel around the island, Nevin was more than glad to be the chauffeur with it as well. We first headed off to lunch at a place oddly named The Goat and I noticed that every time he spoke on the way there, there was a sense of constant cheerfulness about him. It was so refreshing, especially with the amount of despair I had begun the day with.

During the course of the next three hours, not once did Nevin ever waiver in his optimistic mood. At one point, when he and I were on the top of a tall monument on the island, I finally asked him if he was happy like this all the time. As he looked out over the island from where we stood way up high, he told me how blessed he felt his life was and said “After all, how could you not be when your job is flying a plane for a living and getting to enjoy so many different things of beauty just like this.” I shared with him after that the struggles I’ve been facing for as long as I have. I told him about my past and all the darkness I had once lived in. And I said that I inspired to be as joyful and hopeful in life as he was. He responded in saying he felt I was on the right path, that I just needed to keep doing what I was doing, and keep my faith in God. When the day came to a close a few hours later, it was kind of hard saying goodbye to this gentle soul, especially given that my mood had completely changed for the better.

It truly is refreshing in life to come across individuals every now and then who have that unique ability to help a person find peace and joy within themselves by them just being them and Nevin is one of these people. His soul is a bright one, and one that I would say is a beacon of hope for others. It’s what I believe Jesus was like back in his time as well and it’s what I long and strive for in my own life too. And what’s funny about this entire story is that Nevin wasn’t even the original pilot that had been scheduled for our plane ride. Due to some conflicts, the plane and pilot changed almost at the last minute for us.

So in the end I came to the conclusion that God ultimately wanted me to meet Nevin that day, mainly to provide me some hope, to not give up, and to remind me that I’m still on the right path of healing, which is why I’m so grateful to have come across a person like Nevin. As it’s individuals like Nevin, who shine their light as strongly as they do into the darkness in our world and after doing so, leave nothing behind but light. So thank you Nevin for being a great beacon for us all and for being an exemplary example of yet another ray of the light of God.

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

Have you ever walked on a trail in a park without any idea where it led or how long it was to get to the end of it? If so, have you always seen it through or have you ever turned back?

I went through this recently with my partner at a place called Crane Creek, which I guess back in the day was a beautiful beach that people often went to. Nowadays though it’s a wildlife preserve and a place I occasionally go to, just to see a little of God’s unspoiled beauty that still remains on our planet. But back to the question I posed.

My partner and I were walking on this trail at Crane Creek the other day without any idea how long it was or where it ended. We had opted to take a stroll on this boardwalk-like trail on a very warm day, that actually turned into a much longer one than we originally thought. Nevertheless, about 30 minutes into it, my partner suggested we turn around and go back in the direction we came, as he felt it wasn’t going to end any time soon. But somehow my inner guidance felt differently and instead told him to keep the faith, as I believed we were almost there. He balked a few more times with each strange bend on this trail, but eventually he finally did see the parking lot off in the distance. When we ultimately reached it, I could tell he was overly relieved.

Why I find this so interesting is because I think it’s a lot like our own spiritual journeys in life. I truly believe each of our journeys consist of a bunch of smaller paths that we walk on as we move forward. But sometimes we find ourselves on one of those paths that seems like it’s never going to end, especially when it’s also filled with a ton of painful obstacles. When this happens, it’s common for many of us to turn around and go back in the other direction we came, because at least with that, we know where we’ve been. But unfortunately, the only thing that usually comes out of doing that is even greater frustration.

I’ve been on a part of my spiritual journey now for so long that over the past few months, I’ve often thought about turning around and going back in the direction I came. During each of those moments, my mind has frequently wandered to thoughts of taking drugs, drinking alcohol, having promiscuous sex, numbing myself on medications, or even killing myself. Yet I haven’t done any of the above because like that Crane Creek trail I was on the other day that eventually did end, I know there will be an end to this part of my spiritual journey as well. And ultimately, the last thing I want to do is turn around when the clearing could be just beyond where I’m currently at.

So like those trails in parks we may occasionally find ourselves on with no idea where it leads or how long it really is, the reality is there’s always a clearing and an end to each of them. Just like I believe there is to every path on our spiritual journeys in life, even the ones that have lasted for as long as they have. Thus no matter how difficult things may seem right now, the important thing is to keep moving forward, one step at a time, and trust that God will get us to the end, as more than not, it’s usually closer than we think…

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson

Today’s entry might polarize some or maybe it won’t. But I’m a writer and also a deep thinker and something’s been on my mind as of late that deals with the idea that spiritual contracts are made by us with Source prior to ever entering our life.

Ok, so I’m sure some are probably already turned off by this topic but after all this is a blog and just my own thoughts. Yet it’s something I’ve been dwelling on quite a bit over the past few years, especially given what I’ve been going through with my health.

I know I’ve spoken about this in lesser detail here and there in prior entries, but today I’m going to expand on this a little bit more and I’m going to do it in a strange way that might feel like I’m actually writing a story. But before I start, let me pose a few thought provoking questions.

What if we really do live multiple lives and at the end of each of them, in some place beyond our current limited comprehension, we review the lessons we learned and the ones we didn’t? 

And what if we then have the ability to rest for a bit and then prepare for the next life by making agreements with Source that will help us learn the next set of lessons or the ones we hadn’t quite grasped yet?

The following is just some of the dialogue I’ve imagined I’d have with a Higher Being, if there really was truth behind these questions:

“So you’re ready to enter the next life I see Andrew?” says the Higher Being.

“Yes, and this time I want to ensure I will move beyond this place I continue to get stuck in.” I said, knowing I had spent the past five lives repeating the same mistakes of over-indulging, living in debauchery and gluttony, manipulating, cheating, lying, and essentially remaining selfish and self-centered more than not.

“Be gentle with yourself Andrew, you know how difficult it is with those energies on Earth and how easy it is to get caught up in the lower vibrations there.” 

“I know, but I don’t want to keep on repeating these same mistakes life after life.” 

“So what do you have in mind then Andrew?”

“I’d like to make a contract for myself. I want this next life to have conditions that will predispose me to the same problems I’ve had in prior lives, but much stronger. Strong enough to reach the point where I feel totally broken, where I have no other solution but to call out to God and ask for help. One where I will finally ask God to free me from all of the things that have kept me separate from God. And once I do, I want to feel all the pain as I heal. In other words, I want to experience the pain that came from falling away from God’s grace again and again.”

“That’s quite a tall order Andrew! Are you sure you want to take on something that difficult?” 

“Well nothing else has worked so far and I don’t want to have to sit here again, coming up with something even more challenging!” I said with a chuckle.

“You know this isn’t going to be easy Andrew.” The Higher Being said gently.

“I know, but I want to show God how devoted I am to finally learning these lessons. I’m sure that by being willing to go through all that pain I won’t repeat this ever again, not in the rest of this next life or any future life for that matter.”

“Andrew, God already knows how devoted you are. You don’t have to go to this extreme to prove that.”

“I said that the past five lives and look where it got me.”

“Well if anything is going to prevent you from repeating this again, this will, if that’s really what you want.”

“It is.”

“Well then all you need to do is sign here.” The Higher Being said pulling out a sheet of paper with what I was agreeing to.

“I know this is going to work this time.” I said out loud to myself as I signed it.

“Andrew, I’m sure it will. And when you reach the other side of it, just think of how many souls you will be able to help find their way to the Light…”

“A beacon of hope…”  I said as I walked out of the room looking forward to the next life.

Peace, love, light, and joy,

Andrew Arthur Dawson