Taking Care of God's Little Spaceship

Have you ever decided to adopt a new daily practice of self-care, whether physical, mental, or emotional/spiritual? From the goal to meditate or pray every day; to the intention to brush your hair 100 strokes, floss after every meal, or walk 10,000 steps every day; to signing-up for online brain training, have you ever decided to adopt a new routine or ritual? How did that go for you? 

Did you achieve your goal from day one, never missing a day of your new daily practice? That experience has never been mine. If it’s ever been yours, I hope you will tell me about it in a comment and I hope I get to meet you one day, for you are a hero to me! You’re definitely a person with all your 7 Childhood Treasures gleaming abundantly in your treasure chest!

The title for this blog post came into my mind this morning, as I did yoga and meditated. This longtime practice is one I’ve always hoped and intended would be daily. Honestly, though, I’ve been doing it for decades as an episodic practice—a spate of days here, a flurry there. Only very recently has it become, truly, nearly daily. It hasn’t been long—just a little over a week—but 8 out of 10 consecutive days is a new record for me.

 

And this time feels different. This time doesn’t feel like a burst of conscience or vague intention that will fizzle after that first surge of “I should....” This time feels like change, real change. I feel transformed into a person who enjoys meditation and yoga every day, who really misses it, when I can’t. I feel I have become the person who wants to do it every day.

As I felt these feelings this morning, that’s when the phrase “taking care of god’s little spaceship” scrolled across my consciousness. See, my belief system includes that I am a manifestation of divinity; I am god’s eyes, hands, and feet in the world (and so are you). I see our bodies as vessels of skin, bone and water, devised to carry that divinity through this life journey. Wherever each of us goes, we ride in one of god’s little spaceships. Our seemingly simple but deeply complex job description in this life includes the assignment to care for and protect that vessel. 

Caring for god’s little spaceship may be the most important task I have because, without a well-maintained vessel, the divine force within me cannot do all that there is for me to do here on this planet. I believe my life mission—to change the way we treat children in America—is worth the investment of a lot more years. Feeding myself junk, carrying too much weight, refusing to exercise or strengthen my body; these practices do not care for and protect the little vessel carrying the divine essence who is manifesting this mission.

That’s the reason this change feels permanent and is not just one more false start. Now I truly understand and accept that I am caring for god’s little spaceship. I finally “get it” that physical wellness is what I want because it serves my higher purpose in life. This awareness

also gives me new understanding of the Childhood Treasures of Faith and Vision. My belief in something larger than my life--a better life for millions of children--and my ability to set and achieve goals that move us all toward that reality cannot be fully realized unless I take care of god’s little spaceship.

So now I finally know just how precious this vessel called body is. The meaning of the phrase "I love my body" is elevated a few zillion levels of consciousness above how I used to understand it. I do love my body, and now, for the first time, I know why.