July 20, 1995

• The transition of a loved one

• Reincarnation

• Giving and receiving love

God blesses and surrounds each of your souls with loving presence and comforting strength. The guides for each of you are assembled just as you are.

Your loved one’s transition to our side was smooth and peaceful. He is with us and therefore with you. There is a joy to his countenance, for he realizes the great benefit that has been accrued through his many years of study and deliberation and searching. He was met on our side by many with whom he felt so close. He is indeed a soul at peace. His is a strong soul as each of you can readily believe. You have witnessed that strength and he has brought it with him. He knows of your love, your closeness, your concerns and your support. He knows of your gratitude, but he is also full of awe, full of his gratitude for you, his love and concerns for you, his care and interest.

For many souls who travel across this small divide that separates our two forms of life, the transition can be bewildering. But for your dear friend there was great clarity. There is a brilliance of light that he sees of which we have so often spoken. He is aware even now more fully of the truths that you have all shared over the years. But his change in life-form is in no way meant to be received by you as a great loss, for it is a natural transition. You are really no more removed from him than you were when you were physically together.

Each of you has experienced his presence in some way since his transition. For some, it has been a feeling of presence. For others, a vivid memory, a recollection that takes on great significance. You should hold onto those memories for they are an important link, but they do look backwards.

As you become more accustomed to not seeing your friend physically, you should gradually focus your attention on praying for his continued growth in the spirit. Your greatest gift to him is to pray for him, to pray for his strength and enlightenment, for his continued journey closer to the Oneness that is God. It is natural and necessary to grieve, for that is a recognition of the value of what is no longer present. But in the end it is your prayers for him that are of greatest importance.

These remarks are focused, of course, on your deceased loved one, but it is important for you to apply them to all whom you know who have joined us and who still remain with you although unseen, for you really are a part of the great beyond. You are a part of the future. You are really not separated in any significant way from those who now are with us. All generations are entirely united as a single unit, even those generations who are not yet born into this present life. They are a part of the unity that binds all of you together.

Those souls that await human life are also with you. There is no difference between you other than one of development. Souls that await human life are preparing for the lessons to be learned in human form. These may be lessons that have not been learned in previous lives, but they await the opportunity to grow through the benefit of the life that you presently experience.

Those who have completed their human life during your human existence have also experienced growth and may look forward to further development of the soul. For some, that development may mean living in human form once again. When such life is repeated, it is not a measure of failure. It is just part of the continuum of development. It is a very natural progression.

Your friend’s progress in human form was very strong, and his soul radiates an enormous light of many colors. Whether he wishes to reenter the human condition or not is a decision which may be made at a considerable time in the future. He often spoke of reincarnation, and he was correct in his belief of the need for it. But a soul is part of the decision process of whether to return, for the natural progression of the soul is toward the light of God.

Just as there are many routes between two locations, there are numerous ways of moving toward God. For some, remaining in the spiritual plane is the most appropriate position. For others, further experiences within the human life are important. The decision is not one made quickly. There is no time limit; there is no hurry. As we have said so often before, in the course of spiritual growth there are no winners or losers—there are only finishers. So time is not an issue here. Your loved one realizes this, as do all souls.

You have all been brought together because of him. Indeed the nucleus of this group, which formed so long ago, began with his urgings. You all have much to be grateful for—grateful for the influence of your friend in your lives—but you all have multiple reasons to be grateful for the lives of many others who have touched your own.

The evidence of love is love that is shared, that is love given and love received. It may be given and received within a small circle or within a group of total strangers. You offer love when you offer compassion. You offer love when you offer comfort and understanding, but you also receive love through those means. There is no limit on how this love may be expressed and shared and experienced.

You should look for more ways of reflecting the brilliance of your own souls outward into the world, but you should also be more receptive to the love that is expressed by others toward you. The experience of love is not a one-way mirror. It must be experienced both in the giving and in the receiving.

Your friend’s transition has provided each of you with opportunities to give and also opportunities to receive. Think back on the events of the last several weeks, and reflect upon those opportunities that you recognize where love was given and received. Think of the beauty of those moments. Value their presence in your lives. Allow yourselves time to withdraw from your normal activities to remember that beauty. By so doing, you strengthen your souls through this shared experience, and you'll be further empowered thereby to strengthen your friend’s spirit and to facilitate the growth and development of all others for whom you pray.

We are indeed joyful that you have gathered together, and your loved one is warmed and supported by your prayers. He joins us as we bless you in God's presence.

Amen.