The story in the Bible at Luke 2 is about Jesus’ birth and consecration. The consecration was a ceremony required by Jewish law. Every firstborn male had to be taken to the temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated with a small sacrifice, namely “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” When Jesus was taken to the temple, two unusual things happened:
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation…”
There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; … She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Today’s reading says that Jesus’ birth “represents the birth of willingness, humble at first, but promising within it all of the glory of Heaven.” It interprets the story about Simeon and Anna in this way:
This tiny willingness, only newly born and without achievement of any kind, is received by the Holy Spirit as a wonderful gift, and it is received with eternal gratitude.
So it is with your willingness, no matter how humble that willingness may seem to be to you.
Yesterday, we saw that the path of awakening is a path of choosing higher vibrations over lower vibrations. We also saw that although the code is multi-layered, not all vibrational levels are currently available to us as options. We are aware of the vibrations that are closest to our current vibrational level. Some of those vibrations are in tune with the lower edge of our vibrational level. Others are in tune with the higher edge of our vibrational level. We rise up by choosing the options that are in tune with the higher edge of our current vibrational level.
NTI Luke 2 offers willingness as a higher vibrational option that is in tune with our current vibrational level. Gratitude for willingness is another a high vibrational option that is available to us. Through gratitude, willingness grows into true desire, and true desire grows into intense desire for awakening. Intense desire for awakening is a very high vibration. As we have already learned:
Awakening the extremely intense desire for Liberation is the most important first step that can be taken towards being liberated here and now in this lifetime. ~ The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss by Michael Langford
As you read from NTI today, keep in mind that NTI Luke 2 provides a very important key. As it says in The Most Direct Means to Eternal Bliss:
Some teachings are essential powerful keys. The knowledge that increasing your desire for liberation is the most effective first step you can take, is an essential powerful key.
All obstacles that appear in your journey to freedom are caused by too little desire for freedom. Even a little increase in your desire for freedom is helpful. As your desire for freedom grows in intensity the ego creates fewer obstacles.
Since willingness is a higher vibrational choice, it’s helpful to choose willingness whenever a lower vibration is tempting you. For example, imagine you are very annoyed at a person close to you. Instead of acting from that annoyance, say this prayer with your heart:
I feel very annoyed right now. I don’t see how I could not be annoyed at this. However, I am willing to see differently. I surrender all of my thoughts about this situation in willingness, and I remain open to any guidance that will come.
With a prayer like this, you make the higher choice, and you rise a little higher in vibration, which makes an even higher option available to you. The new higher option is called “guidance”. It might be the guidance to rest-accept-trust, it might be a new way of seeing the situation, or it might be something else that is different from the original options that were available in your mind.
Whenever you choose the highest option available in the moment, you are guided to the next higher option through a rise in vibration. That is what guidance is—a higher choice leading to the next higher option. By following guidance, which is the highest option available now, you continually rise in vibration.
